SlutWalks Are the 'Future of Feminism'

There's no stopping SlutWalks now, and they're starting to look like the "future of feminism," writes Jessica Valenti in the Washington Post. What began as a single protest in Toronto over a police officer's safety tip—to avoid rape, don't dress like a "slut"—has morphed into "the most successful feminist action of the past 20 years," writes Valenti. These marchers are women fed up at sexist stereotypes who are organizing themselves, and they're not doing so under the umbrella of an established women's group.

National marches can be antiseptic, complete with signs pre-printed in bulk. SlutWalks, on the other hand, "have cropped up organically, in city after city, fueled by the raw emotional and political energy of young women." We're witnessing a "new day in feminist organizing," writes Valenti. "One when women's anger begins online but takes to the street, when a local step makes global waves and when one feminist action can spark debate, controversy and activism that will have lasting effects on the movement." Germaine Greer also is a fan. (More SlutWalk stories.)