On May 22nd 2017, a video of a woman being sexually harassed by a group of men AND WOMEN at the Gaborone Bus Rank went viral. They clustered around her, ridiculed, humiliated and undressed her for wearing a skirt that was "too short". It is needless to say that I was not only gutted by the incident, but absolutely disgusted and outraged. The perpetrators were apprehended accordingly, yes. But what this woman went through struck such a nerve in me as not only a woman, but as a human.
As a result of this heinous act, there was a movement that started, #IWearWantIWant. It was a "slut walk" in tribute to the victim of the act of sexual harassment. Women walked the streets of Gaborone is short, tight, revealing clothing looking like "sluts", screaming "WE WEAR WHAT WE WANT! NOTHING I WEAR IS ASKING FOR IT!". "IT" being rape and any form of sexual harassment.
As you can imagine, there were those that were with the movement and those that were against it. I personally am FOR IT. And this is why;
THE NARRATIVE OF THE ENTIRE WALK BASICALLY STANDS FOR THE FACT THAT THERE IS NOTHING A WOMAN CAN SAY, DO OR WEAR THAT GIVES A MAN A LICENCE TO RAPE HER. WE'RE TEACHING OUR GIRLS THAT THE ONLY THING THAT CAUSES RAPE IS A RAPIST AND THERE WILL NEVER BE A PLAUSIBLE JUSTIFICATION BEHIND IT. FINE, WE TEACH OUR GIRLS TO DRESS MODESTLY TO AVOID GETTING RAPED BUT MODESTLY DRESSED WOMEN GET RAPED TOO. THEN WHAT? UPON THE SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A MODESTLY DRESSED WOMAN, THAT NOTION IS RENDERED NULL AND VOID. CLOTHES HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. RAPE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING CLASSLESS OR INDECENT. THE KEY IS TO STOP BEING CATALYSTS IN RAPE CULTURE AND REPLACE OUR DELUDED SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT TO WOMEN'S BODIES WITH RESPECT AND BASIC HUMAN ETIQUETTE.
Nothing is asking for it. BY DEFINITION, RAPE CANNOT BE ASKED FOR.
I am mine.