Women's Walk Against Rape
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Women's Walk Against Rape was an annual political demonstration during the 1970s that emerged as part of the broader anti-rape movement. This movement, fueled by second-wave feminism, sought to challenge societal norms and legal frameworks that perpetuated sexual violence against women and marginalized survivors. The demonstrations were pivotal in raising awareness about rape as a systemic issue tied to gender inequality and power dynamics.[1]
The anti-rape movement began in the late 1960s and early 1970s, rooted in feminist activism and consciousness-raising efforts. During this time, survivors of sexual violence began to publicly share their experiences through events like Speak Outs, which highlighted the prevalence of rape and the failures of institutions to address it adequately. The Women's Walk Against Rape was part of this wave of activism, aiming to confront societal attitudes that blamed victims and normalized sexual violence.[1][2] During a protest in Central Park in 1976, Yolanda Bako from the Rape Prevention Committee said "You should have seen the looks on the faces of the night-life-subculture men who regularly roam the park. They could not stand the fact that we were invading their space".[3][4]