Vagina warriors rise to support worldwide efforts to end violence against women

Shawn Domingues
The Signal
The word vagina makes many people uncomfortable.

It makes people so uncomfortable, in fact, they will not say the word out loud, preferring instead to say “the v-word” or use one of the many nicknames that have been given to the female body part “down below” such as “va-jay-jay” or “hoo-ha” or “cookie” to name a few.

Many young girls have grown up thinking they should be ashamed of their “private parts” and vaginas are rarely discussed. This had been the case for ages and was still true in 1990 when Eve Ensler, an American playwright and activist, started a conversation with women around the world that lasted five years and opened a dialogue on a subject that, for so long, had been taboo ––– vaginas.

Ensler went around the globe conducting more than 200 interviews with women about their sexuality, their insecurities and their vaginas.  Giving a much-needed voice to the often-silent issues of violence against women, Ensler wrote The Vagina Monologues to capture the essence of the wide array of stories the women had told her.  With themes such as rape, love, cruelty and self-discovery, the monologues offer an intimate glimpse inside the hearts and minds of women from every walk of life.

What started as a one-woman play in the basement of a small café in New York City has become a phenomenon that has been performed by many of the most respected actresses in the business, as well as hundreds of thousands of students, members of activist groups and women worldwide, all of whom consider themselves “vagina warriors.”

On Valentines Day 1998, Ensler, with a group of women in New York City, established V-Day, a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. Every year, hundreds of college campuses and communities worldwide perform the play and host benefit events during and leading up to V-Season, which is Feb. 1 – April 30. The purpose of these events is to raise money and awareness about violence against women and, as long as 100 percent of the proceeds are donated to a local charity, Ensler allows the groups to perform her play or host movie screenings without paying any royalties.

The University of Houston-Clear Lake has participated in V-day activities since 2008, and this year’s performance marked the 5th anniversary of the Vagina Monologues. Jennifer Clark, assistant director of student life, has participated as a director in every production and has seen the powerful impact these events have had on the Vagina Warriors involved in the performance, as well as those in the audience.

“I have witnessed women discover their voices and speak up more about experiences they have had, abuse they have experienced, confront stigmas and stereotypes, and become empowered and more confident in themselves,” Clark said. “It is difficult to be a part of this show and not be changed in some way.”

This year, the performance and events were produced entirely by student organizations. Students from PAVE (People Against Violence Everywhere), WSSA (Women’s Studies Student Association), and BSA (Black Students Association) all worked together to raise money for the production of the monologues, which was held in the Bayou Theater March 16. There were 38 Vagina Warriors involved in putting on this event, which included students, UHCL staff and members of the community.

The student organizations held fundraising events on campus, including a bake sale on Valentine’s Day where the students sold baked goods, flowers and, oh yes…chocolate vagina-shaped pops. Delta Xi Nu, the only sorority at UHCL, also held a bake sale to help raise funds for the production.

Kendra Riney, the co-president of PAVE and president of WSSA, has been involved in the UHCL V-Day events for the past four years, and undertook the role of producer for this year’s performance.

“The greatest challenge this year has been balancing being in charge of the production, working part time, being a part-time student, and a full-time mother to a 16-year-old boy,” Riney said. “It became a second job, but I am glad that our organizations put it together. Through participating in the production, I have met some really incredible women.  Many who have been victims themselves, including me, and it has kept me coming back each year.”

The proceeds from the performance and V-Day events will benefit Bay Area Turning Point, a local organization that provides shelter, counseling and a multitude of services to victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence.

While V-Day events typically take place on or around Valentine’s Day, this year’s later performance fits in well with March being National Women’s History Month and Congress’ recent passage of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

This year’s V-Day launched a new campaign, One Billion Rising, which came from the staggering statistic that 1 out of every 3 women will experience violence in her lifetime, which means more than one billion women worldwide will be impacted by violence. To counteract that statistic, V-Day invited ONE BILLION women and those who love them to WALK OUT, DANCE, RISE UP and DEMAND an end to this violence.

For more information on the V-Day organization, visit the website www.vday.org.

Photos and slideshow by The Signal reporter Lynsie Whitehead.