european parliament performs "vagina monologues" as crossparty call to end violence against women

[niyad]

(and the likelihood of our legislators doing anything of the sort is. . .?)

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PERFORMS "THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES" AS A CROSS-PARTY CALL TO ACTION TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

Today in the European Parliament, nine MEPs¹ are joining V-Day founder/Tony award winning playwright Eve Ensler in a very special and unique performance of « The Vagina Monologues » to raise public and EU decision makers' awareness on the importance to put an end to violence against women and girls in Europe and around the world.

"I am very moved and proud to join with women Members of the European Parliament who are standing with women across Europe and the world and putting their vision, votes, hearts and vaginas on the line to end violence against women and girls", said Eve Ensler, founder of V-Day. "Their participation in V-Day signals the beginning of the rising²."

This performance is part of V-Day's 2012 season of events and campaigns, joining over 1,850 colleges and communities around the world that will host V-Day benefit events, raising funds and awareness for local groups working to end the violence. This year events are also launching a year-long global campaign: ONE BILLION RISING. V-Day's most ambitious campaign yet, ONE BILLION RISING will culminate on February 14, 2013, V-Day's 15th anniversary, when women, activists, and concerned citizens across the world will organize community gatherings to express their outrage, demand change, strike, and dance in defiance of the injustices they have suffered.

In Europe, 45% of women have suffered from violence that includes sexual abuse, domestic violence, genital mutilation, sexual harassment in the workplace or at the college and university, rape, forced sterilisation, and trafficking for sexual exploitation³. The effects of this widespread violence against women affect not only the survivors and their families; it has a profound impact on the EU's economy. Today, domestic violence alone costs the EU an estimated 16 billion Euros per year, amounting to 1 million Euros every half hour. If the budgets for prevention of this violence were increased by just 1 Euro, it could save 87 Euro in total costs of dealing with the violence.

. . . . . .

http://www.vday.org/node/2866

[Withywindle]

1. K & R

I wish I lived in a place where this was possible....

[niyad]

2. I am with you

[Solly Mack]

9. Yes

[Withywindle]

3. and the thread has sunk yet again.

Wouldn't it be amazing to live in a place where the designated ruling representatives of the people thought it was totally fine to talk about vaginas? It shouldn't be shocking. About 52% of the population of the world--almost 4 billion people--are very well aquainted with vaginas, because that's about how many people HAVE them.

MOST vagina owners are not shocked by discussion of them. We are not shocked by talk about things that vaginas do, like menstruation or intercourse or childbirth. MOST of us are in no way shocked by frank conversations about how to make health issues that can affect vaginas and vulvas and cervixes and uteri and Fallopian tubes and ovaries less dangerous for ourselves and our daughters and mothers and cousins and nieces and aunts.

There are some women who think vaginas are nasty and not worth talking about, of course. They are the ones who are getting some benefit out of taking that position, who tend to fall into three types:


(1) Upper-class women with a very rich, significantly older, right-wing husband she doesn't even like all that much, who keeps her in Tiffany jewelry or thoroughbred horses, as long as she stands behind him and keeps her mouth shut and fucks him when he says so. (Probably is, in her turn, coercing a household servant for favors she actually enjoys.)

(2) Girls who were so conditioned from childhood to be afraid of her own body that she never even dared to touch herself as a kid, and either had her first orgasm after she'd been married for 15 years or has never had one at all.

(3) Older women who were conditioned from a very early age (usually some time between the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, depending on region) to never ever talk about IT. This is the generation that actually had Lysol marketed to them as a douche! And this is the generation that raised daughters born in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Judy Blume was a radical author once, and this is the reason why: she reached the girls that their mothers could not. Gods bless her.

[niyad]

4. would that I could rec your post

[Withywindle]

5. Well, we can still kick the thread.

Right now, I'm still totally BFFs with my vagina, but not so much with my uterus, because OW. OW.

I was on the Pill for 15 years as a prescribed treatment for endometriosis. It was a damn good treatment too--but the Pill has risks for smokers over 35, which I am on both counts, so I had to quit. Now I just take painkillers all day every day for a week every month and just hold out for menopause. (But if I'm like my mom, that might be another 15 years! She was almost 60 when her periods stopped! FFFFFFFFFFFFF!)

[niyad]

6. kick for morning crowd

I wish I knew how to help with the endo--I do know that blackberry brandy helps with cramps, though.

periods didn't stop till she was 60??? yeow!!

[Marrah_G]

7. Awesome

I saw this last fall at my son's college. It was wonderful!

[bart95]

8. wierdest promotion of that play, ever, marcia brady