By Emily Giangrainde
Vagina.
It’s such an ugly word.
It’s one of those words that automatically makes both sexes uncomfortable. But why?
Although one-half of the population is female, it is still considered taboo for women to openly discuss their bodies.
Through a production of Eve Ensler’s “Vagina Monologues,” a few Peace students are hoping to not only make everyone more comfortable with their bodies, but also more comfortable with themselves.
The “Vagina Monologues” is a series of stories complied by Ensler into various monologues addressing issues such as hair, rape, homosexuality, sex slavery, female genital mutilation and orgasms.
“It’s important for us to be doing the ‘Vagina Monologues’ because we are a women’s college, and so often things happen to women that are not discussed out loud, but rather in private,” said Peace junior Olivia Hall. “The monologues matter, the women getting on stage matter, women matter, the discussion that will stem from the show matters.”
After the monologues ran, a worldwide activist movement began to end violence towards women and girls. This movement, also known as “V-Day,” has helped women throughout the United States, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
“It’s wonderful to see the amount of support behind V-Day,” said first-year Peace student Sarah Osborne. “The cause is one that should be talked about more often because it affects everybody – men and women.”
The monologues will be performed at Peace in mid-April.