CITIZENS, activists, allies and those fed up with Namibia’s prolific rape culture are invited to take to the streets as the fifth annual Slut Shame Walk (SSW) returns to Windhoek this Saturday before heading to Swakopmund next week.
Founded in 2019 by intersectional activist Nsozi Mwazi, the SSW aims to highlight Namibia’s high rates of sexual assault and femicide while discrediting the idea that victims are to blame for rape rather than the rapist.
The theme for this year’s march is ‘The way we dress does not mean yes’.
“SSW is a peaceful protest for all ages as anyone can be raped at any age.
“SSW was born from the fatigue of reading newspapers and comments every day and seeing how the victim is somehow blamed for being raped and killed,” says Mwazi.
“The dress code is ‘come dressed as you are, less is more’. The reality is whether I wear a miniskirt, a burka, jeans or I am naked, I can still be raped and the reason is the rapist, not me,” Mwazi says.
A cursory glance at this week’s headlines casts a grim picture of Namibia’s reality.
‘Man allegedly rapes three minors’ and ‘Rape rife this weekend’ are but two headlines from Monday’s papers, while police reports of unchecked child rape in the Omusati region remains a national point of shame and indicative of the country’s high incidence of sexual assault of minors.
“Every day you read of a child or woman being raped. Every day a state of emergency is not declared. Every day stricter measures are not put in place. At some point that apathy as a society has to be taken as complicit,” says Mwazi.
“We need to create safe environments for people to speak out and seek help, which is currently not happening in Namibia. There is a bystander and silencing culture from family members, police officers, the church, the state, doctors and nurses, just to mention a few,” Mwazi says.
“Until we stop blaming women and children that the reason for rape is them and not the rapist, the SSW is going nowhere.”
The peaceful protests in Windhoek and at Swakopmund will be followed by workshops concerning bodily autonomy, consent, access to justice and how to help combat endemic sexual assault on a personal and systemic level.
“Most people do not know what to say when a friend or family member has been sexually assaulted and we give them the right tools so they do not offend or victim blame the victim into silence unknowingly,” says Mwazi.
“Feminists, allies, supporters, victims and survivors all come together from different walks of life to celebrate, protect and support each other while also networking, socialising and learning from each other throughout the workshop,” Mwazi says.
“We are here to say you are not alone. Even when our voices shake, we will not be silenced.”
SSW will begin at 11h30 at the Ausspannplatz Circle in Windhoek on Saturday 22 April. The event will take place at 12h00 on Saturday, 29 April at the corner of Moses //Garoëb Street at Swakopmund.
Follow SSW on Instagram and Twitter for more information and should you wish to donate or contribute to the walks.
– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com
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