SLUTWALK EVOLVES TO ADDRESS CURRENT POLITICAL REALITIES OF ABORTION AND RAPE
Content Warning: this article includes mentions of sexual assault.
Ottawa’s twelfth annual SlutWalk, organized by The Purple Sisters Youth Advisory, was held on Sep. 10 with a theme of “bodily autonomy.” Supporters of all genders carried signs and chanted “A dress is not a yes!” as they marched from the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights monument and past Parliament Hill to raise awareness of sexual violence.
The event began with participants making signs, some reading: “Still not asking for it!”, “Educate your boys” and “Protect rape survivors, not the damn rapists!”
Organizers Amira Brehaut and Sammita Chowdhury energized the crowd with a recount of SlutWalk’s history and an explanation of its importance 12 years later.
According to Brehaut, every year, the march’s theme changes to reflect the most notable feminist issues of the time.
“We’re obviously very concerned by everything that’s been going on in America,” Brehaut said. “This year, we wanted to put an emphasis on bodily autonomy because, in North America, it’s a right that is being contested by a lot of politicians.”
“Canada is a country that a lot of people like to pretend is extremely progressive,” Brehaut said in an interview with the Fulcrum. “But honestly there is a lot of dehumanization directed at trans communities, or queer people, or Indigenous people in this country.”
Brehaut believes that public protests, specifically marches, are a great way to make sure that youth voices are heard.
In August, the Ottawa SlutWalk was awarded $1000 by Awesome Ottawa, an organization that donates to an “awesome cause in Ottawa” every month.
“I like that it’s a very topical issue,” said Margaret Lavictoire, a trustee for Awesome Ottawa. “It’s a message that needs to get in there and it’s great that people are organizing in a very visible way.”
The event also featured speakers Grantha Wadud, Krishnpriya Singh and Adriana Moore, who all recited heartfelt poetry about their experiences with womanhood and assault.
This year, many protesters were newcomers to the SlutWalk. Anne Biason-Hart, who is passionate about trans rights, environmental activism and fighting rape culture, attended SlutWalk after coming across the Purple Sisters’ Instagram account.
Speaking to the Fulcrum before the event, Biason-Hart said, “This is something I’m really passionate about. I think one of the biggest things that needs to change is casual comments that people make, or like rape jokes because that just keeps [rape culture] going.”
After the march, participants stayed to chalk important messages on the sidewalk.
Brehault reflected after the march, “I think our message got out there. Random [passersby] cheered with us and people in their cars honked in support.”
