SlutWalk to reclaim BAngalore on December 4

The phenomenon of SlutWalk has reached Bangalore: the protest march will be held here on December 4 after month-long events to raise awareness about it.

“Blame the perpetrators of sexual violence, not the victim. We believe that a woman is never asking to be raped. Just like a man wearing a gold watch is not asking to be robbed and a person living alone is not asking to be murdered, no one is asking to be sexually assaulted,” say the organisers of Bangalore’s first SlutWalk.

In the run-up to the protest march, many events have been planned to draw attention to the attitude of blaming the victim along with sexual harassment on the streets.

Organisers in Bangalore aim to associate the protest march in the city with a worldwide movement. The walk in Bangalore, called Gejje Hejje, will coincide with similar walks in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Anyone can take part in the walk and about 700 people have already confirmed their participation. Aqseer Sodhi, a student of National Law School, said the number of people who take part in the walk would be much more.

The turnout for SlutWalks organised in Delhi and Bhopal—where it was called Besharmi Morcha—was poor. Organisers in Bangalore are trying to make sure that the march here gets a robust participation. To achieve the aim, they are organising a month-long campaign, during which there will be meetings, reach-out programmes, debates in schools and colleges, panel discussions, art, photography and documentary festival, street plays, flash mob, dance recital and a concert.

“We are hoping there will be enough awareness created through the many programmes and that a large number of people would come in,” Sodhi said.

“We’ve been living with this attitude (of blaming women for ‘provocative dressing’), which is toxic for society. This kind of complacency will not do. Someone has to say ‘stop’. This movement was long overdue,” said Shonali Chenzira of I’m Still Thinking Events, one of the organisers.

She said the slutwalk’s aim is to make the streets safer, allowing women to walk without fear, regardless of how they are dressed.