• DOI:10.1080/14616742.2012.699776
• Corpus ID: 143816507

Reclaiming the Feminist Politics of ‘SlutWalk’

@article{Borah2012ReclaimingTF,
  title={Reclaiming the Feminist Politics of ‘SlutWalk’},
  author={Rituparna Borah and Subhalakshmi Nandi},
  journal={International Feminist Journal of Politics},
  year={2012},
  volume={14},
  pages={415 - 421}
}

• R. Borah, S. Nandi
• Published 1 September 2012
• Sociology
• International Feminist Journal of Politics

The Toronto SlutWalk, organized in response to a police officer’s offensive remarks about women who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing sexual assault, triggered off similar protests across the world. Through these protests, feminists and non-feminists highlighted concerns related to power relations, sexual harassment and violence, and at the same time asserted their sexuality through the clothes they wore and the messages they displayed. In India, the idea of holding SlutWalks was put forward by a group of college students. When discussions about it began, there was an overwhelming negative reaction from all quarters, including from the women’s movement. There were critiques of the use of the term ‘slut’ and of the adoption of a protest that was termed ‘Western’, ‘urban’ and ‘elite’. Women’s movements in India have addressed violence against women through multiple strategies such as protests, media advocacy and casework. ‘Take back the night’, safe city campaigns and Blank Noise are all examples of such efforts. On the issue of SlutWalk, however, there was ambiguity. We became interested in these debates through the discussions on e-lists that connect feminists and feminist groups in India, and through articles in news and social media. Critics of SlutWalk pointed out the irrelevance of such a protest in India and noted that these walks would not capture the essence of Indian feminism. While some were supportive of SlutWalk, the majority of responses vehemently criticized the movement for its use of the word ‘slut’, for catering only to elite women and for its narrow focus on the clothes that women wear in public spaces. To some of us following the debates, it seemed ironic that, as a community, Indian feminists did not openly or actively support this initiative by young women. Further, there was no mobilization to capitalize on the subversive potential of the SlutWalk. This made us think: does India need a SlutWalk at all, when feminists have been protesting for years against sexual harassment? What are the concerns about this form of protest? But also, what could be the potential of this kind of a protest? In this essay, we dwell on these questions and their relevance for feminist politics today. SlutWalk may be over, but