/ 17 May 2010

An intimate question

Is your vagina yours?  

Many women and girls do not get the chance to answer this question. For young girls the word ‘vagina’ is often introduced as taboo, and women in general would rather replace the word ‘vagina’ with a nickname. 

Young girls are not taught to embrace their vagina and know its worth. Some do not have the slightest idea what it looks like. A representative of Lola Montez, manufacturers of lingerie and erotic toys, recently appeared on a local TV chat show saying that if a woman lost her vagina and had to identify it in a police line up she wouldn’t know which one was hers. 

A couple of years ago I attended a POWA (People Opposing Woman Abuse) rally. A speaker from the USA made a powerful speech that still lingers in my mind. She said that no woman in the world is free. This is solely because war in the present times is exercised on a woman’s body. 

One of the most ground-breaking products born of the feminist movement is the play The Vagina Monologues, which forms part of the V-Day movement. This movement, formed by Eve Ensler who wrote the play, is a celebration of women’s sexuality and strength that uses humour through the liberation of the word ‘vagina”. The initiative raises funds for activist organizations that highlight the abuse of women and children by making use of art as a tool for inspiring action and change in society.

This year the V-Day Johannesburg Campaign takes the form of a three day event at the Bassline in Newtown, Johannesburg from Monday May 17 to Wednesday May 19. The opening night will showcase thought-provoking live poetry performances from South Africa’s most accomplished poets, such as Kabomo Vilakazi, Kojo Baffoe, Rite2Speak and Antonio Lyons. The following two nights will feature performances of The Vagina Monologues, boasting some of the best up-and-coming talent in South Africa. 
 
The poetry evening is a free show.
Tickets for The Vagina Monologues are available at Computicket for R100 or R80 (pensioners and students). All proceeds will go to the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre to create awareness of violence against women and children. 
 Doors open at 6.30pm and the show starts at 7.30.

For more information, visit here.