First ever Slut Shame Walk in April

WINDHOEK, MARCH 23 – The first ever Slut Shame Walk will be held on 06 April 2019 from 08h00 to 12h00 starting at the Ausspannplatz Circle in Namibia. The event is a women’s march that advocates for the protection and safety of the Namibian woman from gender-based violence and stigma. With the mission of Embracing Womanhood Through Sisterhood, the first ever Slut Shame Walk will create an opportunity for women and
allies to discuss, share and unpack their experiences with sexual violence and stigma in Namibia, in a safe, welcoming and ridicule-free environment.

SSW is modeled after SlutWalk, a transitional movement that started in Canada in 2011, calling for an end to rape culture, including victim blaming and slut shaming of sexual assault victims.
The rallies began after a Toronto police officer suggested that women should avoid dressing like sluts as a precaution against sexual assault. American socialite and feminist activist Amber Rose further popularized the movement with her annual SlutWalk Festival held in Los Angeles,
California.

In Namibia, 1 in 3 women are sexually assaulted and do not report the incident because of shame and a fear of being blamed. The country is also pressed by a “passion killing” phenomenon, which demonstrates the extent to which many of our men exercise an unwarranted sense of entitlement and control over women.

The Slut Shame Walk is only the first step in a greater effort to empower our women to speak about and address the ongoing violence inflicted on them, and can show our national leaders the importance of encouraging open dialogue around these matters. – NDN Staffer