The Slutwalk Movement: Victim Analysis

“Thousands of men and women are demonstrating to fight the idea that what women wear, what they drink or how they behave can make them a target for rape.” This quote by feminist writer Jessica Valenti perfectly explains the main idea of the SlutWalk movement. Rape is an exceedingly common crime in America, and unfortunately, one in which the victim is most found responsible. Society repeatedly tells women throughout their lifetimes that not leaving a drink unattended, wearing modest clothing, not walking the streets alone at night, and much more will keep them safe from assault. Sadly, however, these things don’t prevent rape. We live in a world where rape is accepted as a part of life; where what the victim was wearing determines whether or not the assault took place. Heather Jarvis was enraged by the idea of victim blaming and tired of living in the world of rape culture. It was in the midst of this anger that the SlutWalk movement came to life. Jarvis decided to bring people together to take a step towards a world where a woman can be

Organizers asked that protesters attend in their usual attire but many showed up in provocative clothing to make a statement that no matter what a woman wears, she doesn’t deserve to be raped. The protest immediately sparked a movement. In 2011 alone, SlutWalks were held in over 200 cities and 40 nations. The movement slowed but continued in many large cities for years after the original SlutWalk. These protests have continued get larger with more and more protesters participating. A rally hosted in July of 2014 in Reykjavik, Iceland had over 11,000 protesters attend. (Mendes/Macmillan) Although SlutWalks are held all over the globe, they don’t all convey the same message. While SlutWalks in Canada and America are focused on reclaiming the word “slut,” making victims feel less ashamed, and protesting rape culture, more conservative countries, like India, are marching more for women’s