I have always strongly felt about this issue, and I have no idea when is the right time to talk about it! So decided to pen it down today. “Slut shaming” a sore threat to civilized society, means criticizing women who do not follow rules (unwritten and illogical) of societal or sexual behavior. Even gay men may be targeted, but such shaming excludes heterosexual men, especially in India. Women are slut shamed for their clothes, for being amicable and friendly with the other gender, not only this, they are sometimes called sluts for being open minded too! At times rape victims are slut shamed, causes of rape are considered to be the girl’s clothes or personality!
Although women are generally slut-shamed by men, a research shows that women shame each other equally, hardly for reasons relating to ‘promiscuity’. This research in California and Michigan found that women usually call their peers “slut” when they are jealous or have been picked on.
Women at all levels across the globe are victims of shaming. Emma Husar, a Federal Labour Member of Parliament from Sydney, mentioned that slut shaming forced her to leave her career in politics. Californian lawmaker, Rachel Hundley was also shamed when she re-ran for elections. Even the present first lady of the United States, Melania Trump was not spared of slurs.
In India journalists have been facing this consistently. The nation witnessed a former cricketer slut shame a fellow participant on a reality show on Indian television recently.
My question is, why does a woman need society’s approval on her personal choices? Any human of any gender should have personal liberty in the truest sense of the term. A woman need not be answerable for her choices to anyone, whether about the clothes she wears or her sexual preferences. They say society is changing, I wish even this perceptional disorder changes and we form opinions about a woman not on the basis of how she dresses, but for who she is!