Thousands of protesters, primarily women, took to the streets in several Colombian cities Saturday to demand an end to gender-related violence and discrimination.
According to local media, the march in the capital Bogota drew some 2,000 women while marches were also reported in the cities of Barranquilla, Medellin, Pereira, Tunja, Villavicencio and Manizales, and on the island of San Andres.
The Colombian version of the so-called SlutWalk, originally started in Canada, was “to redefine the word slut so that it is not used as a form of aggression.”
While the march was intended to promote gender equality, one of Colombia’s biggest radio stations, Caracol, interpreted the march as a sex workers’ rights protest.
The first SlutWalk was held in the Canadian city of Toronto in April last year to reject statements by a local police commander who had suggested that “women should avoid dressing provocatively, like sluts.”
In response, one Bogota protester painted “I reserve the right to dress the way I like” on her naked body.