T-shirt says it all ... Melanie Fernandez who will join the protest march today.

T-shirt says it all ... Melanie Fernandez who will join the protest march today. Photo: Brendan Esposito

LAST year more than 9500 reports of sexual and indecent assaults were made to NSW police but hardly any attention was paid when the figures were released by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.

Today's SlutWalk in Sydney, however, has everyone talking about sexual violence against women, says the executive officer of the NSW Rape Crisis Centre, Karen Willis.

''All of a sudden we have sexual assault being discussed,'' she said. ''And the more we talk the more we understand the myths and realities; the more we can develop a better response.''

The SlutWalks, held across North America and Europe, are famous for their theatricality and scanty dress. They began after a Toronto policeman told students that if they wanted to avoid being raped they should ''avoid dressing like sluts''.

Ms Willis said Reclaim the Night marches held in Australia for 30 years were losing their power to focus attention on sexual assault. The SlutWalks had reminded people that women should dress how they liked without fear of violence.

Some critics, such as Maiy Azize, a Canberra health and social policy analyst, have decried the walks as another example of women ''defining their sexuality on male terms''.

And Gail Dines, the author of Pornland, said recently during a visit to Australia: ''Men want women to be sluts and now they're buying in.''

But most feminists contacted yesterday were enthusiastic.

Anne Barber, 67, an organiser of the annual International Women's Day marches, said it was brilliant that people felt strongly enough to be politically active about sexual assault. ''I love it. I may be too old-fashioned to use the word 'slut' myself but more power to them. It's part of pushing the boundaries.''

Melanie Fernandez, 26, the NSW branch convener of the Women's Electoral Lobby, will march in a T-shirt that says ''This is what a feminist looks like''.

''There's still a very strong culture of victim-blaming in Australia. And even in the judicial system women who are victims of sexual assault are still asked what they were wearing.''

She said it was disappointing that discussion in some Sydney media had focused on whether it was possible for women to reclaim the word ''slut'' rather than on sexual assault.

Michael Flood, a sociologist at Wollongong University and an expert on gender issues, said he hoped men would participate.

Thousands are expected to assemble at the Town Hall at 2pm.