14.2.4.1 Slutwalk

“You know, I think we’re beating around the bush here, I’ve been told I’m not supposed to say this – however, women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised,” said constable Michael Sanguinetti during a routine campus safety information session held at the Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Canada in January 2011. His remarks sparked a staunch reaction from the event’s organizers, who asked the Toronto Chief of Police Bill Blair to take immediate action regarding police training and education and to increase public education and outreach around sexual assault and rape myths (Herriot, 2015, p. 22). Blair’s refusal to act provoked a protest march on April 3, 2011, which rapidly escalated into a global protest movement.

The striking thing about this “Slutwalk” phenomenon is the way its local origin – a group of friends reacting to a sexist remark made by a local police officer while trying to produce a clear and positive response from the local establishment – rapidly revealed that similar situations were commonplace around the world. This sparked international mobilization and organization abetted by digital media.