Evette Awalt was painting a banner for the upcoming SlutWalk Halifax when her 14-year-old son walked into the kitchen. “Can I come?” he asked. She asked him why. “I want to see the sluts,” he said with a smirk. Hearing this all-to-common sentiment from her son, the SlutWalk organizer felt tired.
Last February a police officer told York University students that women could avoid rape by not dressing like “sluts.” Around the same time, a Manitoban judge sentenced a man to community service for rape because he thought the female survivor’s makeup and clothing had implied that “sex was in the air.”
To condemn these detrimental ideas, a Toronto woman organized the first SlutWalk in her city. The events have since circled the globe. All genders have participated in the walks, wearing differing degrees of coverage—from bras to burkas. The idea behind the SlutWalks seems simple enough to grasp: The clothing someone wears is neither an invitation nor a justification for rape.
At 11am this Saturday, September 17, at Cornwallis Park, SlutWalk Halifax aims to underline the same logic. Awalt hopes to combat the idea that consent has something to do with the length of a woman’s skirt.
More so than any other city in Canada, SlutWalk is of particular relevance to Halifax. One sexual assault per day is reported in this city, according to a 2006 Halifax Regional Police report. Only eight percent of sexual assaults are reported, according to a 2005 Juristat report.
Nova Scotia has the highest rate of sexual assaults in the country—double the national average, according to a 2009 report by the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women. Acquittal rates for sexual assaults have risen in NS over the last decade and the proportion of prison sentences has significantly declined, while remaining stable for other violent offenses
This article appears in Sep 15-21, 2011.
Nova Scotia has the highest rate of sexual assaults in the country—double the national average, according to a 2009 report by the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women. Acquittal rates for sexual assaults have risen in NS over the last decade and the proportion of prison sentences has significantly declined, while remaining stable for other violent offenses – the sexual assault unit put in place by my 1997 rape and 1999 Police Comm hearing is not working. Avalon is doing a piss poor job advocating for women
Dressing like a slut is not an invitation for rape, but it isn’t going to stop a deranged fool from jumping you either. In fact if encourages it. Dressing respectably is a much better way of ensuring peace, in both genders. Have you ever noticed that while men are generally goofier, they don’t wear tight “show off my curves” clothes? Ya, it’s called self respect. They gave up wearing speedos years ago, and women should too. And everyone knows that when one respects themselves, they are easier to respect as an individual.
Yoga pants, wide cleavage, camel toes, skirts rolled up to the panties? Go for it, but don’t be surprised at the response.
@If Not – The whole point of the SlutWalk is to raise awareness of victim blaming in rape and sexual assault cases, which is exactly the thinking you are reinforcing with your comment. You rarely hear somebody comment after a burglary that they family was “asking for it” by having nice things, or living in an affluent area.
Rape is a crime that has everything to do with the offender, and little if anything to do with the victim. The offender has a need to exercise power over another person, and it is often a crime of opportunity – a rapist is going to grab the first victim they can, not wait for somebody in skimpy clothing.
Putting forth ideas that blame the victims of these attacks removes all responsibility from the attacker and heaps it upon the innocent victim, which is why the vast majority of assaults go unreported and unpunished. It’s a vicious cycle that allows rapists to walk freely among us and continue to terrorize others. It adds insult to injury for the victims that not only have to live with the memory of the assault, but also the shame of thinking that they brought it upon themselves.
Everybody in prison wears the same baggy clothing, but it doesn’t stop rapes from occurring there. Elderly women don’t tend to dress provocatively but it doesn’t stop them from being assaulted. Some men walk around with their pants around their knees and underwear exposed, does that mean they’re “asking for it”?
Lets start blaming (and punishing) the criminals, not the victims.
@IFNOT—
Are you F&*%ing SERIOUS?? You’re an idiot! My wife goes out WITH ME dressed looking like an amazing self-aware women. Does she deserve to be raped?? You need someone to look at what you are wearing and decide that it means you deserve to be ass-raped! You are the reason SlutWalk exists!
the logic to these walks is warped… they are probably counter-productive.
Basically unless we all (male and female) dress like pilgrims some Harperista will declare us open game for rape, police harassment, assault, etc.
To anyone still believing that style of dress is correlated with sexual assault, I think you should know that the literature on the subject (scientific studies by professionals who spend their careers studying sexual violence) indicates the following:
1. Most sexual assaults aren’t committed by strangers, but by people known to the victims. (Who have, presumably, seen them in a wide variety of outfits!)
2. When people are assaulted by strangers, style of dress is not correlated statistically with frequency of assault. The numbers don’t lie: women who are dressed “provocatively” are simply not assaulted any more frequently than women dressed in sweats or business suits.
3. The belief that “provocative” dressing encourages assault is what’s known as a “rape myth.” The incidence of rape myths is correlated with sex-negative culture in a particular location. Other studies have found that these factors are also positively correlated with sexual assault, especially “date rape.” That is to say, when we don’t talk about sex, the meaning of consent, and how to enjoy a healthy consensual sex life, we increase both the rate of assault and the inclination to blame victims.
What should we take away from this? That a culture of sexual censure and shame makes women more likely to be raped, not miniskirts. The presence of “rape myths” like “Yoga pants, wide cleavage, camel toes, skirts rolled up to the panties? Go for it, but don’t be surprised at the response” are a red flag for a culture that encourages assaults. Hardly suprising that Nova Scotia’s numbers are so high, perhaps. SlutWalk is about changing that culture; if you have a problem of that, time for a long, hard look at your values.
Reminds me of the “If it walks like a duck, sounds like a duck, and looks like a duck, it probably is a duck.” Society will always judge people on how they dress. If you choose to dress like a slut, you will be treated as such by society. Don’t expect to be taken seriously if you look like a hooker.
@sebastian Troll.
I was recently sexually assaulted by an exboyfriend of mine and what disturbs me the most is the way some women who are of course in the low socio economic bracket (myself) are treated when they try to report the CRIME to the authorities.
There are “men’s clubs” and crptyic male dominated gangs that are into sexaully assaulting women to keep them quiet and I know that I am a victim over and over again of sexual assaults from males I have been involved with as a form of “punishmnet” as you will, for speaking the truth. Just for simply calling a spade a spade and mentioning the organization that is t he source of my misery and all of these sexaul assaults.
These were not random assaults and each and everytime I grew to trust these men and tell them my story of the other assaults I had been through with men and who I believe was behind these sexual assaults. These partners I was trying to form a bond with and open up to wound up committing the same acts.
I know that my life is in danger and I must avoid relations with males at all costs! I am appalled that this is happening in an affluent first world country as Canada which claims to be so good with human rights and a very equitable country fighting for the underdog those who cannot defend themselves.
Well I am definitely in that category.I din’t realize that my country is so punishing and unfair cruel and inhumane toward people who are struggling in poverty. Unfortunately the majority of people who are in this state of poverty are females and so rape has become an epidemic and as it was used during world war two and the serb, Bosnian struggle and pretty much all throughout history men have been using rape as a means of destroying women and forcing them into silence and even madness.
I am devasted that my once serene, peaceful life has been thrown completely out of whack and horrible misdemeanours have been committed against me including several rapes which have profoundly negatively impacted me and my life.
Every woman who has been sexaully assaulted knwos how horrible it is to ahve your power first taken away form you by the perp and tahn to revictimized within society because of the archaic mentalities people still hold toward rape and the victim.
I find it especially bad here in Halifax where there is a pathetic lack of empathy and support given to victims of such a heinous crime.
I don’t know when attitudes here in Canada will change regarding rape victims and making the laws around this CRIME more advanced and fair so that there is justice for women who are vulnerable because of poverty, disability, mental health.i guess there are certain powers that be out there who want to continue the status quo on how women in the low socio economic bracket are treated within the judicial system. Rape is a crime of power and dominance and a tactic/technique to silence women who wil not obey the law that if you do not have money anything can happen to you and against you and you best keep your mouth shut and not speak out in naming these powers
Basically the rape is meant to damage the woman rendering her powerless and than these organizations are there to make sure that your lips are sealed. by denying you justice is to create a victim that can never heal.
I don’t know how to deal with all of these horrible injustices brought against me but all I can do is try to keep myself safe, keep under the radar!!! and avoid ever being alone with a man. This is sad that my once happy, easygoing,carefree life has been reduced to a mere shadow of exsistence makes me wonder of my life is really worth living.