11,000 Take Part In SlutWalk, Inspire Parliamentarians

About 11,000 Icelanders participated in yesterday’s annual SlutWalk, and helped inspire a parliamentary proposal which could help victims of sexual assault.

Vísir reports that about 11,000 Icelanders marched from Hallgrímskirkja at 14:00 yesterday to Austurvöllur, in front of parliament. There, attendees listened to speeches on the subject of placing the blame for rape on rapists rather than victims. The stage was also graced with musical acts, such as the rap group Reykjavíkurdætur, who composed a song for the occasion (see below).

While the attendance alone is significant, SlutWalk has also inspired lawmakers to take notice. Vísir reports that Bright Future MP Björt Ólafsdóttir has confirmed that MPs from every political party have signed on a parliamentary proposal that calls for the improvement of the handling and litigation of sexual assault cases.

For the unfamiliar, SlutWalk began in Toronto, Canada in 2011, in response to Constable Michael Sanguinetti, a Toronto police officer, suggesting that “women should avoid dressing like sluts” in order to avoid being raped. SlutWalk was created to challenge what organisers saw as patent victim-blaming and shifting of responsibility from attackers to victims.

Below is Reykjavíkurdætur’s song for the event, “D.R.U.S.L.A.” (“S.L.U.T.”):
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DKO5rr1y9c&w=560&h=315]
(Photo: Dagný Áradóttir Pind)