SlutWalk continues to inspire a global movement, this time on the streets of New Delhi
The story of SlutWalk is one that we find pleasantly surprising. In case anybody missed it, the narrative went like this: cop says something stupid and misogynistic; women are understandably offended; cop apologizes; offended women march on police headquarters to underscore the fact that the things the cop said were stupid and misogynist. But the best part might be what happened next—the march spread to cities across the United States and has now reached New Delhi, where it sounds like it’s sorely needed.
The Toronto Star has the story:
A 19-year-old college student, [Umang] Sabarwal says it’s time for this city of 16 million to confront the problem of women’s safety. Inspired by organizers in Toronto, she’s working alongside a group of other young women here to stage a SlutWalk in New Delhi next month.
“Things are getting worse in Delhi for women and we haven’t been doing anything about it,” Sabarwal says. “You get on a metro (subway) car here and men stare like animals at you, like you’re meat. It’s weird and yet most women are just silent about it.”
One quarter of all the rapes in India last year were reported in New Delhi, and there were roughly four times as many rapes there as there were in more populous Mumbai—which Sarabal half-heartedly attempts to explain away by way of the city’s high temperatures and stifling humidity. Yikes. We’re pretty sure that’s the first time we’ve heard the rape-by-heat-wave theory.
Best of luck to the ladies in the New Delhi Slutwalk—we suspect they’ll need it—and kudos to the ladies here in Toronto who got the ball rolling.
• New Delhi is latest city to organize SlutWalk [Toronto Star]
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