The idea for our meeting grew out of SlutWalk 2011 which some of us took part in. When we heard of SlutWalks happening around the world, in Brazil, Costa Rica, India and Morocco we knew that many women of colour were involved, including immigrant women seeking asylum inthe UK and sex workers. But this was hidden by the media. We intend to be vocal and visible in SlutWalk 2012.

Why should we meet as women of colour?

Because we want to:
• Celebrate our participation in SlutWalk and the work that we have been doing since SlutWalk began.

• Speak out against the racism we and our communities face from the authorities, NGOs … when we try to get protection and justice from sexual and other violence.

• Talk about how poverty and government cuts make us vulnerable to violence. And work with other movements including Occupy and the anti-cuts groups, to show the connections between our issues

• Show SlutWalk is important because victim blaming and slut shaming are not disconnected from sexism and racism. SlutWalk is part of the anti-rape movement and we want to make it part of the anti-racist movement too

We refuse to work in isolation and will continue to:

• Campaign against being silenced and dismissed
Expose how the 1% aim to divide us and prevent the 99% from coming together

SlutWalk is for all - we all belong together, no matter who we are/how we dress/what we do

This event is organised by women of colour but all are welcome.

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE - Here. 
To RSVP please e-mail: slutwalklondon@gmail.com
Or call 020 7482 2496 

FUNDRAISER FOR SLUTWALK 2012

You are invited to The Voice of Protest… a spoken word poetry benefit for SlutWalk London 2012!

Sunday 29th April, 7pm at the Shacklewell Arms in Dalston.

*** ENTRY £5 ***

MC: Yasmin Lorentz

Performers…

Cat Brogan
Caitlin Hayward-Tapp
Roz Kaveney
Evan Ifekoya
Sirena Reynolds
Sophia Blackwell
Camila Fiori
Habiba Hrida
Lola
Stephanie Dogfoot
Stephanie Goldberg
Dave Russell

Facebook Invite

Sometimes we can forget how much a difference community, protest and our voices can make. Our aim for this night is to showcase spoken word artists who share our goal of challenging injustice, whether that be by confronting issues of gender, race, class or other oppression. 

At its core SlutWalk is about people power. By telling our stories, raising our voices and connecting with other people we can make so much of a difference. We raise questions, we raise conversation and we can create change. 

Join us at the Shacklewell Arms in London on the 29th April from 7pm!

TRANSPORT

Shacklewell Arms is at 71 Shacklewell Lane, E8 2EB 
Nearest Overground: Dalston Kingsland
Buses: 488 stopping at The Petchey Academy stop
Or see TFL Journey Planner at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/, see here for travel disruptions:http://bit.ly/Hv5TtO
Map: http://g.co/maps/732p3

If you can’t come, feel free to donate here!

To celebrate the birthday of SlutWalk… It’s International Day Against Victim-Blaming!

From Toronto:

“On April 3rd, 2011 the first SlutWalk event took place in Toronto, Canada.

Inspired and influenced by powerful anti-violence efforts that came before us, SlutWalk aimed to fight against victim-blaming as a pervasive experience of sexual violence. It began in Toronto, Canada but quickly messages against victim-blaming spread to cities and communities around the world. We all want to see an end to victim-blaming. In the last year, we have seen amazing international collective action fighting against victim-blaming and fighting for respect and support of all survivors of sexual violence. In recognition of these efforts and many other ongoing actions, we mark April 3rd, 2012 as the first International Day Against Victim-Blaming.

We invite you to join an online day of action for the International Day Against Victim-Blaming. Start conversations, take a stand, and take up space on April 3rd to fight for our right to live free of violence and victim-blaming. Join us in our mission to spread the word that those who experience sexual violence are never the ones at fault.”

Here are some photos you can share on any social networking website! The wonderful folk at Toronto made them… share them far and wide! You can also join in on twitter by using the hashtags #EndVictimBlaming and #MyBodyIsNotAnInsult

We demand our bodies and all bodies be respected. Our worth as human beings is not determined by our sexuality.

No matter what I wear.
No matter what I look like.
No matter what my gender expression is.
No matter how much, how little, or what kind of sex I have.
No matter what I’ve done before.
No matter where I come from.
No matter how my body has been ‘devalued’ by others.
No matter what I’ve been called.
Because the victim of sexual violence is never at fault.

End Victim-Blaming! 
 

To avoid being victimised, don't dress like sluts? Really?

slut-shaming:

It may interest you to know that rape and dress sense aren’t linked at all.  

When most people are raped by someone they knew (85.7%, sometimes found to be higher, depending on study) then dressing differently or more conservatively isn’t a preventative measure at all. You’re speaking of the much much smaller number of stranger-rape cases, and in those cases, if you look at this study, you’ll realise that not only are clothing and your chances of getting raped not linked statistically what-so-ever (women, men, children and people of all gender identities are raped regardless of clothing) but “While people perceive dress to have an impact on who is assaulted, studies of rapists suggest that victim attire is not a significant factor. Instead, rapists look for signs of passiveness and submissiveness, which, studies suggest, are more likely to coincide with more body-concealing clothing.”    

“This conclusion is inconsistent with the common belief that how a woman dresses has an impact on whether she will be sexually harassed or sexually assaulted. Why then, do many people, including psychiatrists, assume that dress plays some part in who is a victim of sexual assaults? In particular, why do women believe this? Social scientists believe this is the result of the “just world hypothesis.”

The just world hypothesis and attribution error basically explains the reason this rape myth has been around for so long is because, as human beings, we like to believe we’re rational and that the world is logical, therefore we try to attribute certain characteristics to certain victims to believe that not only could we never be a victim of sexual assault ourselves, but that there was some logical reasoning behind what happened. This is really a defence mechanism. No one deserves rape, no one brought it upon themselves - rape only happens because there is a rapist in the room. 

The basis of SlutWalk is against victim blaming and slut shaming – it’s about shifting the focus from the victim to the perpetrator. Rape is a crime, cleavage is not. 

Telling women how to dress is really a flimsy band-aid over the problem, and one that doesn’t actually statistically or logically make sense. As a society we need to reject this band-aid and focus on real threat management. 

(Looking at structural violence and sexism, the objectification rather than celebration of sexuality within society, education systems which don’t have healthy and open dialogue on issues of consent, relationships and abuse are good places to start so we can start to pave our way to a consent culture.)
 
“When you shame women who dress “too slutty”, guess what you’re doing? You’re perpetuating a culture that blames victims of sexual assault and rape. You’re basically saying that if that woman were to be raped, well, she was kinda asking for it. YOU are the reason why rapists target those women: because you make it easier for them to get away with a horrible fucking crime. Rape is a fucking crime; cleavage isn’t.”

SlutWalk Explained: The Name, The Aims, The Facts.  

This is by the amazing Aimee Claire, from the SlutWalk London Team.

Donate to SlutWalk 2012!

Please donate here to SlutWalk London 2012! We still need to raise over £2,000 for the sound system, permits etc. Even a couple of quid will go a long way. Donating will mean you’re helping put on a really amazing and empowering event. Donations are via PayPal, which will keep your details safe. Please share this round!

To those who have been asking, as soon as we have a date for the walk we will put it on this website. The sooner we have the money we need the sooner we will know, so please donate!

For anyone who wants to share it round the donate link is http://bit.ly/slutwalk2012donate

Please put it out on twitter, facebook, email, etc.

Please join Single Mothers’ Self Defence and WinVisible (Women With Visible and Invisible Disabilities) at their vigil and lobby of parliament against the Welfare Reform Bill. On Tuesday the Welfare Reform Bill is being debated in the House of Lords. This is a vital opportunity to persuade the Lords to make key amendments which could stop some of the most harmful aspects of the bill.

1-3pm, Tuesday 14th February

Old Palace Yard, Abingdon St. SW1, opposite the Houses of Parliament

Why oppose the Welfare Reform Bill?

Poverty makes us more vulnerable to rape and domestic violence, stopping women, children and other abuse victims from leaving partners as they are financially dependent on them. The introduction of universal credit, which in many cases will mean that benefits are paid to a couple as a whole, the cuts to child benefit and a reduction in the benefits paid to individuals, will make women more open to abuse as partners control our money. Disabled women won’t be entitled to employment support allowance if their partner is employed, making an already vulnerable group of people even more open to intimidation and abuse.

The Global Women’s Strike has set out the implications of the bill for women and children:

Cuts to child benefit – Child Benefit must remain universal – it should not be paid according to income. We all deserve the security of money we can call our own to support our children, including when the father is violent or uncaring.

The benefit cap. Already, as housing benefit doesn’t cover all housing costs, many of us go without food or heating to make sure the rent is paid so we don’t end up on the street. Extortionate rents by greedy landlords greatly inflate the housing benefit bill. Cap the landlords, not us! Families of colour forced to move to white areas have been under siege in their own home from horrendous racist attacks, including against children.

Abolition of the Social Fund - the Fund is a lifeline to women and children fleeing domestic violence, ill and disabled people leaving hospital including those with mental illness, and newly-released prisoners, enabling them to set up a new home. People increasingly rely on this fund in emergencies. The government is shedding responsibility for vulnerable people, passing it to local councils with no legal duty to help and no ring-fenced funds. How many more women and children will fall prey to sexual and other violence from partners, fathers or step-fathers they cannot leave because they are dependent on them for food or shelter?

Cuts to disability and carers’ benefits. Sick and disabled people, and carers, need financial and housing security to survive. Cuts to Employment Support Allowance will mean that disabled people with a partner will receive no ESA at all, making them more dependent and more vulnerable to attack. Fears for the future are making mothers of disabled children sick with worry; this is having a terrible impact on the children. Psychiatrists and other professionals warned about this in May.

Oppose the abolition of Disability Living Allowance which will deprive an estimated 700,000 disabled people of benefit, including who use the money to manage in waged work. The concession allowing people in residential homes to claim the mobility component, does not change this.

If you can’t come to the vigil please write to a Lord or to your MP asking them to oppose the bill.

Diary of a “Slut”: A society branded “slut” ready to tell her side of the story.

This is the blog of a rape survivor who, after having survived multiple attacks, now wants to help others. This is what she says: ‘I beg of you if your are sitting there holding in a secret like this or any other secrets that you feel you can not tell anyone else as you fear discrimination or judgement, email me, it will help you transform from a Victim to a Survior - diaryofaslut@hotmail.co.uk’

The Slutwalk London team are making a film to change attitudes about sexual assault, counter victim-blaming and provide legal and practical advice for rape survivors. The current ‘advice’ given to women by the police and teachers focuses on our behaviour: not to go out by ourselves, get drunk or wear ‘slutty’ clothes. We are looking for people who have experienced sexual assault to come on camera to talk about the blame they experienced, whether from the police, people close to them or from themselves - and how they have overcome and fought against it. Not only will this force people to change their views about who is to blame for rape, but it will inspire others who have been silenced and victimised.

If you are a survivor of sexual assault, or if you have challenged victim blaming in any way - for example, by speaking up against victim blaming by your friends, teachers or the police - we would like to hear from you and will try our best to include you in the film. Please don’t hesitate to contact us; everyone’s voices are welcome and we would like to include as many different experiences as possible.

Are you interested? The next step…
Please contact us at slutwalklondon@gmail.com to talk about participating. This will help us see how we can include you in the film. We can give you more information about the film, and arrange a time and date for filming.

More information…
You will not have to reveal your name, age or any other personal details. The interviews will take around 10 minutes; if you feel uncomfortable at any point we will stop filming and there is no pressure on you to say anything you don’t want to say. We will need you to write down a few basic points of what you’re going to say beforehand, and to travel to a location in London to be filmed (if this is very difficult for you we could help with travel costs or travel to where you live instead). If you are uncomfortable being on camera there are ways in which we can make you anonymous, such as filming you from behind or as a silhouette.

Are you from an organisation?
We are also planning to include legal and practical advice in the film. This will include basic pointers on what victims can do after an attack to feel safer, advice on going to the police and on taking a case to court. If you are from an organisation (including student organisations) which supports victims of sexual assault, whether you provide counselling, crisis help or legal advice, please contact us and we will do our best to include your experience and advice in the film.

We are making this film together with Women Against Rape, Black Women’s Rape Action Project and the English Collective of Prostitutes.

Friday 20th January, 10.30am-12.30pm, The Houses of Parliament (Old Palace Yard, Abingdon Street, SW1P 3JY) - Map here, nearest tube Westminster. Facebook invite here

On 20 January 2012, Nadine Dorries’ proposed amendment to sex education, Bill 185, which suggests GIRLS be taught abstinence, is due to get a second reading in parliament. Slut Means Speak Up will be speaking at this planned protest against the bill, together with Women Against Rape and Black Women’s Rape Action Project, who were involved in organising SlutWalk last June.

We will be at this protest because we know that abstinence-only sex education will be incredibly harmful to rape survivors. We know that the girls being taught to ‘just say no’ in school will become the women being accused of not saying ‘no’ loudly enough when they were raped. We know that the girls taught that sex must remain an unspoken subject will become the rape survivors who are too ashamed to share their experiences and find healing. We know that the girls being taught that there is no such thing as consensual sex will become the women who are unable to recognise, report and fight against rape.

UPDATE 20/01 - The bill has been withdrawn! Thank you so much to everyone who came to the protest.

1. Don’t alienate, educate. Not everyone identifies as a feminist, or actively tackles sexism. Many people don’t know what feminism really is. If you feel people at your university/college don’t understand feminism, don’t allow yourself to become a clique – hold discussions, organise meetings, and make sure the message is out there: ‘if you don’t like sexism, you’re welcome here’.
2. Be inclusive, anti-racist and pro-sex workers’ rights. Be public in this stance, and actively seek out any organisations local to you which deal with racism and discrimination against sex workers. Don’t wait for them to come to you.
3. Invite speakers from local organisations, or from further afield. For example, Black Women’s Rape Action Project, the English Collective of Prostitutes and Women Against Rape, who helped to organise Slutwalk London and spoke at the event (rather brilliantly, I must say), would be glad to speak - as long as you can cover their travel they’ll be there. If you find there are differences among organisations, ask them to speak at a public debate, so people can make up their own minds.
4. Organise a speak out, where individuals can speak out about their experiences of rape and other violence. The NUS has found that a shocking amount of students have experienced some form of sexual assault, and that only a tiny percentage tell anyone or see a doctor. Events like these can help change that. (Click here to read the NUS report).
5. Root your demands for change in women’s experiences, and target the authorities who have the resources and power to change things. Slutwalk London publicised the dismal UK conviction rate for reported rape of 6.5%. Thousands of rape and sexual assault survivors used the occasion to speak about what happened to them – not just their fury at their attacker but at how the authorities (the police, Crown Prosecution Service, courts, local authorities, medical staff, housing officials . . .) were dismissive, hostile, blamed them and sabotaged their efforts to get their attacker brought to justice. Look at what demands and campaigns can come from those experiences to challenge and hold the authorities to account.
6. As far as we at SMSU are concerned, feminist and gender-equality groups should welcome everyone. Including men. Women-only groups/meetings have a time and a place, and that should be respected, but men should not think that this is a ‘women’s issue’ that has nothing to do with them. Patriarchy affects us all, and if we want real change, we need everyone on board.
7. Some feminist groups are also cis-women only. Don’t be one of those groups. Just. Don’t be. It is hateful, pure and simple. And hating minorities is not what feminism should be about.
8. Make sure that feminist issues are top of your SU’s agenda. Give ‘em hell.  If the lighting is poor on campus, protest. Make it policy that students are given free rape alarms. Push for the NUS’s campaign against sexual harassment. Challenge sexism in SU publications, and investigate your union’s sponsors (Dominoes has a particularly troubling track-record – Exeter I’m looking at you). Get your union to affiliate with pro-sex worker, anti-racism and anti-sexism groups. You could even get them to affiliate to us!
9. Go to the NUS women’s conference – learn from the other women, but also call them out on racism and anti-sex worker sentiment when you see it.
10. Run for sabbatical positions! We need more feminist student unions. You can make that happen.
11. Join the anti-cuts movement. At the moment it’s visibly white, male & not very feminist. Remind groups that women are the first to suffer under this government, and that Black, immigrant and other groups facing racism and other prejudice are the hardest hit, while being ignored when they campaign. Support your local rape crisis centre and/or sexual assault referral centre when local cuts come around. Make the economic connections clear – (student) poverty makes women more vulnerable to sexual violence.
12. Fundraise. Organise a gig, have a raffle, go down the oh-so-traditional and yet oh-so-delicious route of the bake sale. Raise money for yourself and other organisations, here in the UK and abroad. Fundraise for the next Slutwalk London – we’ll need around three grand to pull off another one, and there’s certainly a lot of people keen to come again!
13. Circulate information about practical help, like the Women Against Rape’s self-help guide available free at: www.womenagainstrape.net/resource/self-help-guide-survivors-rape-and-sexual-assault (or order a paper copy), or make your own.
14. Keep your members updated on what’s going on in the world. Write a regular newsletter. Set up a feminist zine and get your fellow students to contribute. Who knows, it could be the next Bitch!
15. Set up anti-rape groups,  self-help groups, support groups for victims of racist and sexist abuse, and make sure that all the local and university-based support services are widely publicised.
16. Organise your own Slutwalk, and/or a Reclaim the Night march. The great thing about events like these is you can make them specific to your local community as well as to the international issue of victim-blaming. Is your local council openly anti-women? Are your street lights being switched off? Incorporate it into your march and bring it to the attention of the locals in an inventive and exciting way.
17. Encourage students to write to the local papers – they will print them if you make a good argument and/or write from personal experience. This can help shape public debate and make your demands for change visible.
18. Send us details of your upcoming events! We’ll share them online with fellow SMSU supporters.
19. Make sure that you record your events – film them, take pics and write reports to publicise
    what you have achieved (respecting participants who want to remain anonymous). Let us know what you’re up to, too, and we’ll share it with followers of SMSU. Publicise anything you achieve – we’re all used to bad news, make sure your good news travels!
20. Most importantly, stand up for what you believe in, never back down when you know you’re right but admit it when you’re wrong  & be proud of your achievements. Go out there and shake things up. Goodness knows the feminist movement needs it.

- Caitlin & The Crossroads Women’s Centre