Every year since 2011, Chicago has a demonstration called the SlutWalk that fights against victim-blaming and survivor-shaming. It also speaks against objectification of women, slut-shaming, violence and rape culture. While dressing in provocative clothing, women chant sayings such as, “However we dress, wherever we go, yes means yes, no means no” and “Claim our bodies, claim our right. Take a stand, take back the night!” This space or walk is where women can take back the streets and not be afraid to wear a crop top, shorts or even a dress.
The SlutWalk started in 2011 when a group of girls found out that a Toronto campus police officer told students that in order to avoid rape, they must not dress like “sluts.”
Growing up in New York City, I would always take caution of what I would wear. Taking the subway while wearing a simple crop top and shorts made for a day full of inappropriate and demeaning catcalls.
One thing should be very clearly addressed: the way a person presents her body, in whatever form or way she is dressed in public, does NOT mean that people are entitled to access to her body. It is time for us to take back control of our bodies.
Marieme Foote, an 19 year-old environmental studies and politics student at Ithaca College agrees.
“I think the SlutWalk is great. I think it’s important for women to take control of our own bodies. Our patriarchal society often times inhibits women from expressing themselves; words such as sluts are used to make women feel wrong about expressing themselves. The fact that women are doing this is truly great.”
The way we dress does not give permission to anybody to have control over our bodies. SlutWalk’s controversial name creates attention that highlights the issues and the rape culture that needs to be eradicated in this society, and that is truly amazing.
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