Throughout my adolescence, I struggled with an ultra-orthodox ethos that threatened to silence me. Today, I am an empowered woman who uses her voice! An example of me using my voice was my activist project for GWST 200. I participated in the Vagina Monologues for my activist project. The Vagina Monologues performance is based on Eve Ensler’s book The Vagina Monologues, and is essentially a celebration of female sexuality.
In participating in the Vagina Monologues, I addressed a few different “problems.” The first problem is the way in which today’s society regards female sexuality. Generally speaking, female sexuality is a forbidden zone or a “taboo”. Rarely does anyone talk about female lust or sexual desire, and when it is actually spoken about, it is usually in a negative light. The Vagina Monologues explores women, women’s bodies, their deepest sexual desires and fantasies as well as their fears and vulnerabilities. My goal in partaking in the Vagina Monologues was to expose that female sexuality is real, is valid and deserves to be recognized, talked about, and yes, even celebrated. The second “problem” I believe I addressed is violence against women, and the silence that surrounds the violence specifically. The Vagina Monologues incorporates monologues about rape and mutilation of the female body. Violence against women is a sickening reality, but perhaps, what is equally sickening, is the silence that pervades these traumatic incidents.
My participation in the Vagina Monologues was empowering, and allowed me to voice my rage about what happens to women all over the world. In participating in the Vagina Monologues, I was be able to use my “voice” and show others that the silence surrounding sexual and physical abuse waged against women must be broken, and that victims of abuse must never and will never be silenced. The Vagina Monologues was a huge success and I feel blessed and proud to have been a part of such a powerful and inspirational performance.
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Studies in Feminist Activism 