What is Slut-Shaming?
Slut-shaming is defined as “the action or fact of stigmatizing a woman for engaging in behavior judged to be promiscuous or sexually provocative”.
Social media can ruin a girls reputation as quick as a mouse. We live in a world where every action taken by females is labeled. Growing up, I have witnessed slut-shaming myself. Yes, I know a lot of victims, who are my dear friends. I remember the junior year at my high school like it was yesterday. Let me start by explaining why it’s 10x worse on Arab-American Muslim girls living here in the United States. Firstly, because we are Muslim Arab American woman, and although it’s a proud title we hold, some people don’t support our actions. The Arab-American society holds its tradition and values high and forbids women to do a lot of things. Now remember I did not say Muslim women, I said Arab American women, because one who practices Islam is a good person. Sadly those people who slut-shame us are our own people, neighbors, students and so-called “friends”. A friend of mine was put on blast on Facebook in the year 2011. She was called every word you can think of when you think of slut-shaming; whore, slut, bitch,etc. Why was she labeled? well, she was speaking to a lot of guys and had guy friends. WHAT??? Yup, that was my reaction too, sadly shes still trying to recover from that incident.
Now just think about all the things you hear against women globally…… As a feminist woman, I am raged to my core and this is why I choose this topic
Intro
Constantly the fingers are pointed at women. Slut-shaming is the “ experience of being labeled a sexually out-of-control girl or woman (a “slut” or “ho”) and then being punished socially for possessing this identity”, ( The Truth about Slut-Shaming, p.1)
Slut-shaming is criticising women behaviors and sexuality when it violates the “social norm”. Body shaming women are socially constructed within our institutions. Whenever women begin to seek change and break out of the norm, they are shamed and boxed to feel insecure. It sadly begins at a young age, where schools are at fault. Schools implement unnecessary dress codes specific to girls which makes it hard for girls to feel confident and secure with their body. Many women are shamed for their behavior and are constantly being criticized for their sexuality. Many women who experience slut-shaming are experiencing victim-blaming for their actions. In many countries like India, women experience harsh criticism. The action of slut-shaming women and young girls is an act of social control and punishment. Women are taught to take that extra precautious step to avoid sexual assaults and rape which results in slut-shaming and victim blaming.
Let’s take a look at other women who have experienced slut-shaming
In India, Journalists Face Slut-Shaming and Rape Threats
An Indian Journalist named Rana Ayyub experiences harsh threats and slut-shaming in India. As she begins to embark on her journey as a journalist, after going undercover for 8 months to investigate the riots that occurred in 2002, in the state of Gujarat. Rana Ayyub writes about the violence that occurs against Indian minorities and is calling out the prime minister for silencing the violence that is occurring. Because Ayyub is a journalist, she was slut-shamed into many acts of violence through the media abusing her sexuality to the public to label her as a slut. “I have been targeted by an apparently coordinated social media campaign that slut-shames, deploys manipulated images with sexually explicit language, and threatens rape”-Rana Ayyub. Not only did Ayyoub face slut-shaming insults, she was falsely set up on social media to be supporting a child rapist. Clearly, this online virtual mob tackling Ayyoub is trying to do anything to try to silence her. They threatened to gang rape her, abuse her, spread rumors that she hates Indians, and was told to leave for Pakistan.
Do school dress codes end up body-shaming girls?
Slut-shaming is telling a girl to be ashamed of their body. It’s supporting the idea that men are superior to women. It begs us to ask the question, does slut-shaming begin in school? Does dress code reinforces this message that women’s body is the center of their identity? For young girls, this becomes hard to adjust to when it’s the institutions themselves implementing rules of dress codes to cover their bodies. Catherine Pearlman says that schools are shaming girls for wearing clothes that are fitted for them by implementing dress codes. Pearlman takes on an action in writing a letter to her daughter principle in response to her daughter’s teachers response. Pearlman’s 13-year-old daughter was told that she was not allowed to wear yoga pants because it would turn boys on. Pearlman daughter is also told she is violating the dress code when she wears short. Pearlman says that schools are implementing outdated dress codes on young girls and this leaves them to feel ashamed of their body. In response to Pearlman post, she received many critics of whom were to be parents that say that if her daughter continues to wear shorts “she will grow up to be a slut or prostitute”.This behavior towards young girls blooming is shaming them to feel insecure about their bodies.
How can a young girl experience body-shaming at such a young age and from a teacher???… Insane
Women Are Revealing The Everyday Sexism Of #BeingFemaleInNigeria
As much as Nigeria is developing, there still a lot of sexism. Women are experiencing many victims blaming for their actions from the clothes they wear to their behavior being portrayed as not feminine enough. Moral teachings are engraved within their culture for women to have certain looks and behavior. As for boys, “ boys will be boys”. This hashtag came along to raise awareness of women to experience sexism and discrimination they face on daily basis. The Warmate Book Club created the hashtag #BeingFemaleInNigeria and women rapidly began to tweet their experience. “What we are trying to do is open people’s minds to what some people in the society has termed as the norm,” Akinwande explains. The hashtag exploded worldwide.
The story of the SlutWalk
SlutWalk Toronto. April 3, 2011.
Global movement
India On July 16, 2011
Toronto, Ontario –The first SlutWalk in, April 3, 2011, Calling for an end to rape culture. At the end to victim blaming and slut shaming women.
Switzerland- The Swiss SlutWalk was created in August 2012.
South Korea- The first Slutwalk protest was held on July 16, 2011. Held in Seoul.
Australia– The first SlutWalk in Melbourne took place on May 28, 2011
Singapore- The first Slutwalk took place on December 3, 2011
Israel- The first SlutWalk took place on March 22
Conclusion
Slut-shaming women is the way of silencing them, its a way of social control. Just take a look at how gender roles are social construction of society, we grew up into believing there are two genders that exist, that women are the gatekeepers and men are the “the one”. As Enloe stated, women are the “other” and men are considered ” the one”. Although our society is gradually developing by having many women speak up and our FEMINIST women- society tries to instill silence. The movement of slut-walk is a great way to stand up against slut0shaming and make women aware that they are not alone.
Slut-walk has become a global icon. All women around the world are sharing their stories and putting an end to it. The key component in our life to raise our voices. During these slut-walks, women, and men both were calling for an end to it TOGETHER. Although its the majority of women who experience slut-shaming, others sexes experience it now as well. It’s sad to know that we are living in the 21st century and became are still stigmatized, labeled and pushed away from being themselves. Its time to call for an end to all this and we can all push one another for help.
Sources
“(PDF) The Story of a Slut Walk.” ResearchGate, www.researchgate.net/publication/272928598_The_Story_of_a_Slut_Walk.
“Women Are Revealing The Everyday Sexism Of #BeingFemaleInNigeria.” HuffPost, 1 July 2015, www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/30/beingfemaleinnigeria-trending_n_7697796.html.
Kelly Wallace, CNN. “Do School Dress Codes Body-shame Girls?” CNN, 30 May 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/05/30/health/school-dress-codes-body-shaming-girls-parenting/index.html.
“Opinion | In India, Journalists Face Slut-Shaming and Rape Threats.” The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia, 22 May 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/05/22/opinion/india-journalists-slut-shaming-rape.html.
“SlutWalk Korea: Translation, Cultural Production, and the Politics of Possibility – Han – 2017 – Communication, Culture & Critique – Wiley Online Library.” Wiley Online Library | Scientific Research Articles, Journals, Books, and Reference Works, 2016, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cccr.12161.
UM-D Women's & Gender Studies
UM-D Gender & Globalization 
It is very infuriating that men and women are held to this double standard. Men are prasied for their sexual conquests whereas women are shamed and ostrecised. I agree that we as women need to support each other and build each other up instead of tearing one another down by feeding into the slut-shaming.
This is one of my FAVORITE gendered subjects! I’ve been truly amazed my whole life by the double standard of slut shaming!! I love how this past year we have taken back the word. It actually reminds me of an Amy Schumer quote I once heard. It’s a whole female empowerment quote, and I will share at the end of this post, but essentially she says, “I am not the people I sleep with”, like the things that the patriarch makes us believe is our label to live with. #MeToo, and slut walks are a long time coming, and I’m so glad to be much more informed than I was previous to this class on the whole topic.
Amy’s quote —from google, which lead me to this website: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/6707348-i-am-a-woman-with-thoughts-and-questions-and-shit
“I am a woman with thoughts and questions and shit to say. I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong. You will not determine my story — I will. I will speak and share and fuck and love, and I will never apologize to the frightened millions who resent that they never had it in them to do it. I stand here and I am amazing, for you. Not because of you. I am not who I sleep with. I am not my weight. I am not my mother. I am myself. (2014 Gloria Awards and Gala)”
This was a great post. I liked that you included your experience as an Arab American woman, because I think it’s important for us all to remember that our experiences with any given structure are shaped and informed by our traditions, whether cultural or religious. Like you, I also know friends who have been “put on blast” on Facebook like your friend. I have also been slut shamed in more micro ways, in which my clothing or behavior has been policed by those who think I am “too promiscuous.”
I think the idea that the dress code is slut-shaming is SO important. I attended Catholic school from kindergarten until fourth grade, where we all wore uniforms, and so this wasn’t as much of an issue, but as I transitioned to public school, I can remember being asked to change clothes due to my shorts being too short, tank top straps too thin, etc. I find two issues with this: firstly, we are putting the blame on young girls and women that men are looking at them. Boys and mens’ self control issues suddenly become the responsibility of girls and women to assuage. Secondly, and what I think is the most important thing to recognize is that this must mean that we are sexualizing young girls!! Children!!! Not only are we making girls responsible for the thoughts and actions of boys, we are treating them as though they are sexual adults when they’re children. Thanks for your work in bringing light to this topic.