The Vagina Monologues.

Last night I went with some girl friends to see The Vagina Monologues, by Eve Ensler. If you've not been following my blog, I'll explain quickly. The Vagina Monologues are a compilation of monologues based on Eve's experience interviewing 200 women from all walks of life about their vaginae (plural of "vagina" for those of you who didn't know - I, personally, just learned this). I saw this production at the local college, and you know what? It was good.

The Monologues were compiled to raise awareness about female sexuality and the exploitation of women - to empower women and to raise awareness about the atrocities committed against women around the world at the same time.

You leave the performance with a lot to think about.

The Monologues have been performed by one woman. Three women. Last night there were about forty young women involved. It's a big deal. The Monologues are traditionally performed on or around V-Day (February 14th), and the "V" doesn't stand for Valentine. The day was established after the Monologues became widely successful and Eve decided that she could do more. That the piece could do more. Mean more. Be more. V-day is celebrated all around the world to raise awareness, to empower women: V-Day: until the violence stops.

This year, the focus for V-Day is on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I hadn't even heard about the conflict there until last night. I mean, I'd seen Blood Diamond, I knew there was trouble in that area of Africa, but I didn't know that 500,000 women and girls had been sold into the sex trade. That they were raped and tortured and taken from their parents as little girls and forced to bear the children, the housework, and the sexual fantasies of men in their forties. Young girls. SO young.

There was a monologue specifically about this as a feature last night. It was...powerful.

I read these things and I feel so powerless. I hate to be so... I don't know... AMERICAN...and just throw money at a problem. I want to do more. I'm trying with this blog to raise more awareness. I hope to try and convince our local community theatre to host a V-Day event next year. I want a t-shirt from the V-day website so I can open conversations and talk to people about what's going on in the Congo. I hope that you will do something. I hope that you will take some action. Maybe you are in a place in your life right now where you can GO THERE. Maybe you can go and help. There are tons of organizations doing this RIGHT NOW.

The IRC
Stop Child Slavery
and Invisible Children

Not to mention V-Day.

I urge you to visit these sites and think about what you can do to help. I urge you to buy a t-shirt. I urge you to tell your friends what you know, to research what is happening in Africa and around the world to young women and little girls. And I urge you to pray. If you have no money, no means, then you can still pray. Pray for peace and salvation. Pray for love to win over terror and violence. Pray for the empowerment and education of women and the mercy of the ruling governments.

...

Thanks for reading.