Random Musings

I shall have to tread carefully here.

When it comes to topics such as these, I recognise the potential for fierce emotional debate, so I shall attempt to present my ideas as carefully as possible.

I really don’t wish to ruffle anyone’s feathers.

All I wish is to present my own thoughts in as cogent a manner as possible.

I read in the newspaper today about this global movement called “SlutWalk” which has made its way to Singapore.

(“SlutWalk”? Really? You serious about that name?)

Well, apparently the Singapore leg of the movement will attempt to de-emphasize the word “slut”, and also, there won’t be a “walk” involved either.

But it will still be called “SlutWalk Singapore” nonetheless.

Go figure.

I found this movement interesting because it all started in January when Canadian police officer Michael Sanguinetti said during a safety forum: “Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order to not be victimized.”

And it was these precise words that has sparked a global movement which moved thousands of people to participate in this initiative.

You can read more about “SlutWalk” Singapore’s objectives (here), but I shall highlight one main point:

“SlutWalk seeks to challenge the sentiment that it is acceptable to live in a victim-blaming society as we do, where we are taught “don’t get raped,” instead of “don’t rape.””

Firstly, before I proceed any further, let me just categorically state that I believe that rape, just like any other illegal act, is completely unacceptable and unjustifiable, and that the rapist should always be made to bear the full brunt of the law whenever a rape is committed.

I do not condone rape or sexual assault of any form, and never will.

However (and here’s where the “however” part comes in), I’ve looked at the Michael Sanguinetti quote from all angles and I really don’t see what’s wrong with what he said.

To think that he could spark a global movement with just that one quote. (Overreact much?)

What exactly was wrong with what he said?

He didn’t say that “All women who dress sexily are sluts”.

And neither did he say that “All women who dress like sluts deserve to be raped”.

He was merely asking women to avoid dressing like sluts in order to minimize their risk of being victimized.

(As for the true definition of “slut” and what it encompasses, let’s just leave that discussion for another day.)

While I would admit that rape is a crime that should not be tolerated under any circumstances, I think women who dress scantily don’t necessarily do themselves any favours by providing temptation of the flesh to potential criminals, knowing well that most men are visual creatures and are easily lured by temptations of the flesh.

It’s all about taking the necessary precautions to minimize the risk of an unwanted situation.

I’ve often been told to be wary of pickpockets in the streets of Milan, so if I decide to dangle my wallet openly and be nonchalant about it, I would have to kick myself in the event that my wallet really gets picked by one of the many highly-skilled Milan fingersmiths.

Yes, they’ve committed an outright crime (theft), but why did I knowingly walk into the lion’s den?

My point is don’t court trouble when you know that a certain action would increase your risk of danger.

The DNA of the male species is not going to change overnight.

You can’t change thousands of years of biological programming.

Men aren’t suddenly going to wake up one morning and stop being tempted by the sight of female flesh just because of some movement called “SlutWalk”.

You’re not going to eradicate rape just because of this.

And besides, do you think potential rapists would care about this “SlutWalk” movement at all?

Yes, I agree that rape and sexual assault can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender, appearance or dressing.

And while I would not blame the victim in a rape case, I would question her wisdom in making decisions (if any) which put her in a disproportionately more dangerous position, especially if she could have done something to prevent it.

You can’t blame a policeman for shaking his head if he hears that you’ve been sexually assaulted when you decided to wear your skimpiest outfit and walk through some dark alley in a seedy part of town at 3am in the morning.

With regards to “SlutWalk” Singapore, instead of taking this (slightly misguided) direction of wanting to brazenly flaunt one’s “sluttiness” (would this be the appropriate term to use in this case?) and hoping that men’s attitudes towards sexily-dressed women would suddenly change overnight, how about taking a more collected approach instead?

How about trying to educate the public on the statistics of rape crimes, the plight of rape victims, the ways to prevent or at least reduce rape crimes, the channels for rape victimes to go to to seek help, etc?

Wouldn’t that be a more effective way to bring the message across, and hopefully help alleviate the problem, rather than going with the “slut and proud of it” angle?