Vagina Violation

Every one in four women are raped in the United States. Over 130 million women have been forced to undergo female genital mutilation or cutting. Women own 1 percent of the property in the world and produce 10 percent of all economic income. After learning of these statistics and being exposed to the Vagina Monologues, I have come to the conclusion that on most days every woman has rights denied, human rights.

People, male or female, should not have to face oppression in any shape or form. Yet the obscurity of this oppression is that it exists because so many in the world accept it, even some of the men and women who are victims of it. Some cultures, tradition, or religions in the world try to justify deplorable acts against women in the name of protecting them or asserting that it is in religious scriptures. However, the same countries where the origins of theses social forces are, are the same places where there is overpopulation, increasing hunger, the lowest economic prosperity, and the most health risks and tribulations.

So, finally, one woman, Eve Enseler, stood up and created a commotion through art. Art expression is one of the best ways of healing. The theatrical piece, the Vagina Monologues, helps alleviate the violence against women and has, is, and will inspire many to make a difference in the lives of people who can’t help themselves. A collective of stories and patterns of women worldwide are conveyed through the monologues. Yes, vagina is repeated over and over in funny and serious pieces, but by no means is it used as a negative euphemism and sex is an intrinsic part of life.

Recently, Yelena Shagall, of the Chicago Flame, expressed her view on the Vagina Monologues and interpreted it in a superficial way. Her opinion conformed to mainstream and failed to see the motive behind the Monologues. Comparing it to a hypothetical “Penis Monologues”, women’s effort in eradicating the world of violence is made into a parody. Shagall’s shallow view fails to see how the Monologues have already made one of the deepest impacts on the campaign to end violence worldwide. If repeating a word that was unheard of publicly twenty-five years ago can do this, then why slander an attempt that has been working?