Slutwalk – When policemen share the same mentality as the rest of the male culture

After the Slutwalk march in London on Saturday 11^th June, I felt the need to reflect on what women and men told me about their reason to be there.  I read about rape, attend talks… until I understood how all this connected to feminist politics.

The trigger

It began on 24^th January 2011, when a policeman walked into Osgoode Hall Law school in Toronto, to tell women how to avoid sexual violence “I’m not supposed to say this, “Sanguinity said. “However, women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised.”

This triggered a wave of protests that started on 3^rd April in Toronto, Canada, and spread to major cities in the world in US, Portugal, Brazil, Australia, Amsterdam, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Argentina, Ireland, South Africa, Mexico…..

SlutWalk was a reaction to not one officer's remark, but to incessant sexism that discriminates women and justifies rape, violence and oppression.

D-Day – Saturday 11^th June, 2011

On Saturday 11^th June, 5,000 men and women marched under the “No means No, Yes means Yes” slogan toward Trafalgar where the talks took place. Although each women and men had their own particular reason to be there, each one gave an insight on the overall matter. 

Men’s inability to control their impulse – when the roles are reversed

The first belief Slutwalk aimed to challenge was that women were responsible for their own rape because of what they wear. The exposure of women’s flesh through clothing was justifying rape. I really find society complaisant and indulgent toward men’s inability to control their urges and blame women for it. In this scenario men’s reverse the roles and become victim of women who must have done something wrong.  “She was asking for it” they sometimes say.

Policemen share the same cliches as the rest of the male culture.

Moreover, this sexist remark from a Police officer showed how the male police mindset is often similar to the stereotypes views of rape that are shared by the rest of the male culture. Policemen are often reluctant to face up and believe a rape complainant which might explain why only “6% of complaints result in prosecutions” and “40% of adults who are raped tell no one about it”. 

All forms of violence towards women are against the law; therefore it is the responsibility of the police to hold perpetrators to account. If they choose to ignore it they became complicit with the perpetrator in his abusive behavior which will repeat itself. One female protester said that police’s failures to hold perpetrators of rape into account are responsible of manslaughter and should be prosecuted.  

The facts about rape: 

• “Any female may become a victim of rape. Factors such as extreme youth, advance age, physical homeliness and virginal lifestyle do not provide a foolproof deterrent or render women impervious to sexual assault.” According to Susan Brownmiller.
• 80% of the women who are raped are victimized by someone they know.

My views on what’s next

I think we should not stop here and start building a strong movement. The Uncut decentralized protest group is a great inspiration for direct action. Why not organize regular and spontaneous protests in front of police stations across the country just to remind police officers that our fight is not over. This culture of silence and abuse of power needs to end. 

Reference:

Against our will, Men, Women and rape by Susan Brownmiller

Slut Means Speak Up, a campaign launched at Slutwalk London to tell the world that rape is never, ever the fault of the victim.Official site: http://slutmeansspeakup.org.uk/about

http://www.womenagainstrape.net/ 

The End of Poverty film

“End of Poverty?” a good question. It is the title of Philippe Dias documentary that received numerous awards and recognitions. This week The Tipping Point Film Fund organised the screening at the Lexi cinema.

I always wondered how people can be hungry and poor when nature can produce anything we need to at least not to be hungry.

One of the most striking scenes was a group of Kenyan farmer showing their devastated land and dying animals. Just two miles away, a foreign corporation has just opened. A recent built dam has destroyed all their cultures bringing cholera and other forms of deceases. To make things worse, the rice produced in their land is sold abroad and does not even nourish their own people.

The economical system and financial institutions created by the west keeps developing countries under-development.  This neo-liberalism system is the continuation of colonization. It sucks all the wealth produced in poor countries in debt repayment to the West creditors.

Through the imposition of debt, the countries lose their sovereignty…. letting external vested interests dictate the country policies.

It is happening here:

Until recently Europe was protected from the side effects of the market. Now it is happening here! The financial crisis has justified savage cuts in the welfare system and the selling of public service units (Gaz, Water, Electricity, Telecommunication….) to private interests. There is no real political alternative, the “right” says large fast cuts and the “left” says cuts but not so fast. Their argument is we have too much debt! Non sense! We always had debt! It is part of the functioning of the capitalist system.

Critics:

From the floor – in the audience someone pointed out that English subtitles were only use when black speakers were speaking when American-Asians clearly had an accent. I think it is a pity that the film director did not challenge his own prejudice. In my point of view, the film is a bit too long partly due to the large quantity of interviews. Philippe Diaz could have cut on few speakers. Some discourses were repetitive and did not add further information. Moreover, some historic explanations about the colonisation were simplistic.

Conclusion:

The “End of Poverty?” is very rich and triggers many questions that need to be investigated separately. A long debate about aid followed in the audience.The successful role of UKUncut in the organisation of grassroot spontaneous protests to expose tax-doding corporations.

Further reading that reinforce the idea of western economies responsibility in the extreme poverty of the South.

http://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2011/02/pilger-fascism-bahrain-egypt

Panel discussion speakers:

Andrew Simms - the New Economics Foundation

The New Economics Foundation is an independent think-and-do tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being...

John Hillary - War on Want: 

War on Want fights poverty in developing countries in partnership with people affected by globalisation. they campaign for human rights and against the root causes of global poverty, inequality and injustice.

This film is supported by:

Share the world resources

STWR advocates for essential resources such as food, water and energy to be shared internationally under the agency of the UN in order