A couple of weeks ago, I was added to the Slutwalk UK group on facebook. For anyone who doesn't know, the Slutwalk movement started in Toronto after a policeman gave a talk to some female University students and said that some rape victims are 'asking for it' through the provocative way in which they dress. These students then went on to establish the Slutwalk; women dressed up as stereotypical 'sluts' and walked through the city together holding signs and banners. This was all done in the name of feminism.
Whilst I agree with equality of the sexes and having the right to dress how you want to without being judged for it, there does reach a point where you have to question why a person wants to dress in such a way. Unarguably, many young women dress provocatively to get a reaction from men, and personally, I don't understand how that is liberating for women or promoting equality. For instance, in a professional working environment, you cannot expect to to wear short skirts or low cut tops and still be taken seriously, no matter how good you are at your job. When it comes down to it, image makes a huge impression. People do judge by appearances - consciously or subconsciously - and you have to think about how you are promoting yourself through what you wear. Do you really want to sell yourself short by wearing an indecent top just because you're a woman and you can?
I agree and endorse the sentiment behind Slutwalk, but I think that it is misguided to put it under the umbrella of feminism. In the 19th and 20th century, the Suffragettes were fighting for equality of the sexes, and I think that this message is completely glossed over by a large number of modern 'feminists.' For instance, on an episode of QI, Jo Brand was asked what her favourite kind of man was. Her response? 'A dead one'. I can't imagine Stephen Fry or Alan Davies giving the same answer about women - not just because it's unpleasant and derogatory, but because there would be a national outcry that a man would say that about a woman.
I won't be joining Slutwalk UK this summer, not because I don't agree with it, but because I think that it's giving women the green light to dress in an innapropriate way and justify it by thrusting 'feminist principles' at anyone who questions them. The statement made by the policeman in Toronto was an absurd and shameful thing to say, but I believe that his message was misconstrued - what you wear sends out a message to those around you, and if you dress in a suggestive way, people could easily get the wrong impression. Be valued for your intellect, your morals and your kindness, because that is liberation, not having a stranger telling you you've 'got a cracking pair.' I appreciate what Slutwalk is trying to achieve, but I think that it's forgotten the core values of feminism.
