In January a Toronto police officer gave a safety seminar to a group of York University students. He said, “Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” On April 3, 2011 more than 3000 people marched from Queens Park to Toronto police headquarters to raise awareness of female stereotypes. These old-fashioned yet deeply ingrained beliefs slot women into narrow categories (such as good or bad), limit their potential and even blame them for the violent behaviors of men. As lawyers we are acutely aware of how sexual stereotypes harm women – from homes to corporate offices. On May 15th there will be a “Slut Walk” in Vancouver organized by two SFU students.
I will be there. (Source: Joanna Chui, Georgia Straight, Vancouver)