EVE ENSLER WANTS to start a revolution. A girl revolution.
The playwright and author whose play “The Vagina Monologues” sparked a global discussion about violence and launched the V-Day movement, which has raised more than $70 million for anti-violence programs, is worried about today’s girls.
Wherever she has traveled, she says, girls are silenced.
“It’s one universal story with different manifestations, depending on the class, the culture, the community, the religion: How does the culture in any given place, mutate, censor, undermine, diminish and eradicate girls, and the power of girls?” she asks.
Her book, “I Am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World,” features fictional monologues that she says speak to what she’s observed about girls all over. High school peer pressure, female genital mutilation, rape, being sold into marriage, self-starvation — Ensler’s writings are “a call to girls, about girls, for girls, around the world, to be their authentic selves.”
Ensler comes to Marin on Feb. 24 for a talk, “Eve Ensler In Conversation With Isabel Allende,” at Dominican University. Her play “Emotional Creature,” based on her book, will have its world premiere in June at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
Whether she’s in Africa or the suburban malls of America, Ensler says there is an underlying theme in the lives of girls: Pleasing.
“There’s an overall mandate that girls are meant to please,” she says. “There are so many ways girls are still being pressured to be something else, somebody else’s idea of what they should be. How do girls break away from pleasing others?”
She wants to change the verb “to please” to some other verb — engage or create or educate or imagine. She wants girls to “take responsibility for who you are.”
Although there has been somewhat of a power shift in recent years — there are more women in college and the workplace than ever before, and girls growing up today have many more options than women in the past — “we have power and we don’t have power,” Ensler says.
“Girls have a different sense of themselves, they’re more liberated and carefree, but in many other ways things are challenging and disturbing,” she says.
It’s 14 years since we started V-Day. We made a determination that we were going to end violence against women and girls. It was an audacious and almost absurd idea, but we committed to it. We believed we could change human consciousness and make the world a place where women were safe, free, equal, with agency over their bodies and futures. This determination fueled our work with urgency, possibility and wild creativity. It was not about magic (although uttering and hearing the word “vagina” has brought inexplicable transformations and occurrences). The work was practical and painstaking. Thousands of activists volunteered their time and talent and energy year after year. They put on theater that broke taboos, got some arrested, others censored, that raised money and attention. They did this at colleges, in churches, in Parliaments, in offices, in factories, in community centers. They did it in Ithaca and Islamabad, Manila and Manchester. In 140 countries. They did it in solidarity and collaboration with thousands of awe-inspiring local groups and leaders whose daily work was on the front lines in community shelters and hotlines, fighting for laws and policies, advocating and healing. The work was about brave women survivors breaking their silence, telling their stores, risking their lives and helping others to do the same. It was about holding perpetrators accountable and ending impunity and speaking back to governments and international elites. It was about calling out racism and colonialism. It was about developing trust and partnerships with male allies. It was about putting the issue of violence against women smack in the center of the conversation, culture and media. It was about turning shame to strength and pain to power. It has been an extraordinary 14 years. There have been many victories.
But we have not ended violence. Today 1 out of 3 women in the world- more than 1 billion women – will be raped or beaten. As economies collapse and the 99 percent struggles with less and less, as global warming increases, and fires, floods, drought abound, the violence against women and girls increases. They become targets. They become commodities, sold in many places for less than a cell phone.
And as we succeed, our victories attract a more virulent resistance. As we get a foothold on our rights and power, the push back from the patriarchal minorities in every country becomes stronger and more dangerous. The recent Republican campaigns in America are examples of this – a very organized and devious attempt to undo VAWA, and the outrageous and mystifying Blunt Amendment, whose aim is to overturn birth control benefits.
We must escalate our efforts. Now is the moment. We must be as disruptive and loud and determined and organized as the small groups attempting to set us back. We must come together, in energy and solidarity, and make a determination to go the distance. We must stop being polite and behaved and find new inventive tactics to shift the paradigm. We are the majority. We literally hold the future in our bodies.
This month I was in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, where I had the privilege to witness the graduation of the first class of City of Joy, a revolutionary training, healing and leadership center for women in the Congo who have suffered the some of the worst atrocities in the world. I watched the group of women who I met 6 months earlier – women who when they arrived at City of Joy, were traumatized, sick, full of self-hatred, muted, and exhausted. At graduation they were reborn: strutting across the stage, self-possessed, giving speeches without notes, passionately and effectively speaking truth to power, demonstrating proficient and instant knockout self-defense moves, reciting poetry. They were rising in front of us, their determination contagious and insistent.
In honor of the women of Congo who are rising in the face of the impossible, V-Day is calling the 1 billion survivors of violence on every continent of the planet to join and RISE. On February 14, 2013, we are inviting, challenging, and calling women and the people who love them to walk out of their homes, schools, jobs to strike and dance. To dance with our bodies, our lives, our heart. To dance with our rage and our joy and love. To dance with whoever we want, wherever we can until the violence stops. We know our brothers, husbands, sons and lovers will join us in the dancing. Imagine 1 billion women and those that love them dancing. Imagine us taking up space, expanding our borders and possibilities, expressing the depth of our desire for peace and change. Dancing, 1 Billion Dancing. The earth will surely move and violence against women and girls will end. Because it can.
Eve Ensler wants a billion people around the globe to stand together against violence. Actually, she wants them to do more than stand: She wants them to dance.
LOS ANGELES — Eve Ensler wants a billion people around the globe to stand together against violence. Actually, she wants them to do more than stand: She wants them to dance.
“The Vagina Monologues” author says more needs to be done to change attitudes and realities when it comes to violence against women and girls around the world. She cites a United Nations statistic that says one in three women will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. On a planet with 7 billion people, that’s more than a billion women.
V-Day, the anti-violence movement Ensler founded 14 years ago, is launching a yearlong initiative Tuesday. “One Billion Rising” encourages people worldwide to walk out of work, school or wherever they are next Valentine’s Day and dance together in solidarity against violence.
“If a billion women walked out of their jobs, walked out of their homes and stopped and said we’re going to dance, and all the people who loved them joined them? The world will stop,” Ensler said in a telephone interview from Sydney. “And we’ll see our solidarity, we’ll see our numbers, we’ll see our power and we’ll see the magnitude of this issue.”
Stopping violence against women “is as crucial as addressing the issues of disease, hunger, and climate change,” she said.
V-Day, which raises funds and awareness to end gender-based violence and harassment around the world, is announcing the campaign around the world with grassroots events at thousands of school campuses and community centers, Ensler said. It is her hope is that neighborhoods and organizations come together to address the issues facing women and girls in their communities, “so when they get to the dancing part, they know what they’re dancing for.”
The global dance-in on Feb. 14, 2013, is significant because “when you dance, you take up space,” Ensler said. “And part of it is just saying women have a right to … be here without worrying about being attacked or harassed or raped or undone.”
Eve is currently traveling the world for V-Season, and on February 12th she gave the Australian Human Rights Centre Annual Lecture at the Sydney Theatre. Check out these two stories by local press, The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald:
Eve is currently traveling the world for V-Season. On February 12th, she will be giving the Australian Human Rights Centre Annual Lecture at the Sydney Theatre. Eve will then travel to the San Francisco Bay Area. On February 23rd, ‘An Evening with Eve Ensler’ at Stanford University will kick off their annual V-Week activities, and on February 24th, Eve will head to Dominican University of California for a public conversation with author Isabel Allende. Check out these exciting opportunities and get your tickets today!
On February 26th, V-Day organizers Hannah Morgan and Dakota Russell, together with a group of women involved with Occupy Wall Street (OWS), are putting on a V-Day production of The Vagina Monologues. The cast will include activists from OWS and allied organizations, as well as Eve Ensler, Laura Flanders, Alix Olson, and Terry Tempest Williams. All ticket proceeds will benefit The National Domestic Workers Alliance and The Voices of Women Organizing Project (VOW). Following is a note from the organizers:
The Occupy Wall Street Movement has lit a spark of potential in the hearts and minds of millions of people who were previously isolated in their struggle against the crushing forces of debt, foreclosures, police brutality, the prison industrial complex, environmental disasters, and the endless assaults of corporatization and free market capitalism. We have arrived at a point in time when it is impossible to ignore that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, and that no form of oppression occurs in a vacuum, but instead is part of a larger interdependent system. As women we recognize the importance of our collective struggles towards liberation, and we believe that a serious movement towards revolutionary change cannot exist without directly challenging the ways in which patriarchy, domestic violence, misogyny, and rape culture continue to be perpetuated.
It is in the spirit of a unified struggle for liberation against violence that women from Occupy Wall Street present The Vagina Monologues.
On February 2nd, The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011 (S.1925) was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee. This is a huge victory, however our work has not ended. Next comes the full Senate vote. Right now, 38 senators are co-sponsors, but 60 are needed to assure final passage. We urge all of our activists call your senators TODAY to make sure that they are on board before the floor vote.
Eve sat down with The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) Emma Alberici to discuss her work as an author and activist. Eve is in currently in Sydney where she will be giving the Australian Human Rights Centre Annual Lecture at the Sydney Theatre on February 12th.
City of Joy Graduation: DRC’s Peaceful Revolution Has Begun
By Belinda Munoz
Incongruous is just one word that comes to mind when attempting to describe eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The breathtaking beauty of sparkling Lake Kivu and the lush, green mountains and fertile red earth where virtually everything grows belie the unspeakable horrors of gang rape, torture and massacre that take place daily in this very same setting.
Staring at a panoramic view comparable to Italy’s Lago di Como, one is immediately tempted to break out a camera to memorialize the stunning scenery. Red blood and bitter tears that stain the land never show in photographs.
Congo, a country so rich in resources — blessed with precious gold, diamonds, coltan, cobalt, copper, tin, tantalum, tungsten — is so painfully poor that “food today means none tomorrow” for many. It is a travesty of global proportions that corporations and their business-as-usual ways continue to amass contaminated and immorally acquired profit. The electronically-equipped population, myself included, benefits from conflict minerals of the DRC and gets away with it without so much as a portion of the misery that the locals endure.
Preservation of the indigenous culture through rhythm, dance, song and art is a testament to the resilience of the Congolese people whose land has been pillaged by greedy colonialism and its appalling legacy.
First Visit to City of Joy
All of the above is apparent on my day of arrival in Bukavu to V-Day’s City of Joy, a very special place, a miracle-maker of a place, that may very well be the birthplace of a peaceful revolution within the DRC. It is a walled-in haven of educational training and political activism for female survivors of gender violence who qualify for the rigorous six month-long program. Here, women are housed to go through extensive literacy and communications courses as well as civics and politics training that teach them about human rights and women’s rights and psychotherapy to help them recover from their trauma. They also go through self-defense courses, comprehensive sexuality education, massage lessons as therapeutic process, physical education, horticulture and green programming, culinary arts, sewing and data processing. These courses are designed by the Congolese and the program is run by the Congolese. They know best what they need and how to make it all work.
Mural on the outside walls of City of Joy
Building City of Joy is in and of itself a major accomplishment. The drive getting there on Essence Road is one for the books. The contrast between Orchid Hotel where I stayed, and Essence Road is jarring. The well-maintained grounds of Orchid Hotel on Lake Kivu are strewn with flowers of every blooming color; picking flowers along a few meters walk would result in the most beautiful bouquet. Within seconds of leaving the premises, thousands of locals walk up and down narrow, unpaved streets, some of whom are carrying babies on their backs or huge bins of manioc on their heads. Armed U.N. soldiers crammed in flatbed trucks are a common sight, as are vehicles of various NGOs and motorcycles driven by locals weaving in and out of unregulated traffic. Foot traffic is so dense that every few minutes, my heart would stop for fear that our vehicle would press against mangled bodies in our path. Transporting building materials and equipment is a huge challenge. City of Joy staff can attest to the painful commute hours during the rainy season when the roads turn into inches-deep sludge. On Essence Road, false veneers of good-doing and inflated promises stop dead in their muddy tracks.
My first visit to City of Joy was nothing short of memorable. Bruised upon arrival, my urge to commiserate with fellow travelers about the harrowing drive quickly dissipated as soon as I saw the women of City of Joy. They were singing songs in French and Swahili, dancing and clapping in graceful rhythm. They smiled as though they’ve never known the nightmare of rape, torture and murder that has plagued their people for over 10 years. My American friends and I joined their welcoming circle. Hugs and kisses bridged all gaps and, though we spoke different languages, the bond of sisterhood enveloped us with genuine warmth. In those moments, indigenous, foreign, colonial and stranger did not exist. We stood together side by side — celebrating — one with joy. We all felt protected, accepted, loved.
We convened under a huge tent to share a meal. The women of City of Joy presented a feast made from manioc root and leaves, prepared in various ways. Though it was not our usual fare, my American friends and I agreed that local Congolese food is delicious.
Then came the hard part. A few of the women got up before us to tell us their stories. What we heard were accounts containing gruesome details. Some details were very difficult to listen to, some seemed surreal and fiction-like. We left with our hearts shattered and internal wounds raw; wondering how anyone could be subjected to such acts. The only way any of us slept that night was through sheer exhaustion.
City of Joy Graduation
Graduation day was a momentous occasion filled with music, metaphor and magical moments. The tent was packed with over 300 guests: NGO representatives, dignitaries, families and friends of the graduates. The governor of the state came to bear witness to the miracles performed that day. In its pilot year, 41 barely alive women were transformed into vibrant, soulful beings and budding political leaders.
Many of these graduates arrived at City of Joy depressed and suicidal, knowing nothing of their inner strength or potential to become leaders, educators and stewards of transformation. It was magical to watch these women take to the stage, deliver rousing speeches, perform poetry they have written in English, demonstrate self-defense moves and celebrate with unmistakable joy. Now, all of them leave with newfound confidence, knowledge of their rights and the law, and the will to help others.
As I watched these women, the words victim and survivor did not dare come to mind. Their spirits are strong, even otherworldly, as they spoke of their love for their country and their sisters and their hope for the DRC’s future. Their strength awed me and my fellow travelers. They could have easily given up in defeat. They could have stayed in the jungles as sex slaves to these militia men, having nothing to live for after their fathers, husbands, uncles and friends have been massacred. Not a chance. These evil, heartless acts could not extinguish their light.
City of Joy’s model and leadership program are filled with realistic hope to heal the Congo. It is a phenomenally important step toward a peaceful revolution that proves it is possible to cultivate leadership among those who once thought their voices were worthless. So many other well-meaning, would-be saviors have visited the Congo making promises they could not keep. None of them ever built anything like City of Joy. City of Joy went from dream to reality with the help of three visionary leaders: the Tony award-winning playwright, performer, activist and V-Day founder Eve Ensler; the incomparable and saint-like gynecologist Dr. Denis Mukwege, founder of the legendary Panzi Hospital which was named one of the top 100 best NGOs in the world by the Global Journal and the Congolese-Belgian human rights activist Christine Schuler Deschryver, winner of the Guardian‘s Women of the Year award in 2011. Without their vision, passion, dedication, commitment and love, hope for a new Congo would not exist as it does now.
Dr. Denis Mukwege, Eve Ensler and Christine Schuler Deschryver
City of Joy Tenets to Transform Pain to Power
The first graduating class of City of Joy created a list of 10 tenets that guide their life within and outside of City of Joy. These tenets are prominently written on the walls. The women turned these tenets into a joyful song in Swahili whose emboldening message transcends oceans, continents and cultures:
1. Tell the truth.
2. Stop waiting to be rescued. Take initiative.
3. Know your rights.
4. Raise your voice.
5. Share what you have learned.
6. Give what you want the most.
7. Feel and tell the truth about what you’ve been through.
8. Use it to fuel a revolution.
9. Practice kindness.
10. Treat the life of your sister as though it were your own.
The Graduates of City of Joy and Their Future
My fellow travelers and I were filled with joy and hope on graduation day. These women have created some of the strongest imaginable bonds humanly possible. Some of them will be staying in towns near and far with their friends and City of Joy sisters. Others, those who have not been rejected by their families for bringing perceived shame upon them, will go back to their village to start over and help others like them heal.
A few members of the first City of Joy graduating class
Yet we remain concerned for their future, acknowledging the likelihood of future attacks. With only 45 of them re-entering the real world outside the walls of City of Joy, there are no guarantees that their network and support of each other will withstand their upcoming challenges.
But then I remember that these women know the real world all too well. They have lived through today with a shattered, not sheltered past. They know a life plagued with the cruelest acts. They are possibly the strongest people anyone could have the privilege of knowing.
If anyone can survive the roughest conditions of existence, I have no doubt that these women can.
As for City of Joy as an engine of transformation, Eve and Christine are in the process of purchasing 350 acres of beautiful, promise-filled, lush, fertile farmland. This will be used by the graduates as well as the neighboring villagers to grow crops, tilapia and other sources of livelihood. The land will eventually belong entirely to these women as a cooperative, strengthening their power and sustainability.
Come February 14, Valentine’s Day and also V-Day when thousands of anti-violence activists worldwide stage V-Day benefits, a new group of women, 90 of them, will enter its doors and the program will be in session once again. The symbolism of this date takes us back to the root of why City of Joy and Eve, Christine and Dr. Mukwege’s vision will succeed: LOVE. Love is the only thing that can power a peaceful revolution. Love is the only thing that gives anyone meaning to go on living. Love is the only thing that can eradicate evil, bitterness and revenge. Love is the only thing that can free the good that lives in all of us.
Eve is currently traveling the world for V-Season. On February 12th, she will be giving the Australian Human Rights Centre Annual Lecture at the Sydney Theatre. Eve will then travel to the San Francisco Bay Area. On February 23rd, ‘An Evening with Eve Ensler’ at Stanford University will kick off their annual V-Week activities, and on February 24th, Eve will head to Dominican University of California for a public conversation with author Isabel Allende. Check out these exciting opportunities and get your tickets today!
On February 26th, V-Day organizers Hannah Morgan and Dakota Russell, together with a group of women involved with Occupy Wall Street (OWS), are putting on a V-Day production of The Vagina Monologues. The cast will include activists from OWS and allied organizations, as well as Eve Ensler, Laura Flanders, Alix Olson, and Terry Tempest Williams. All ticket proceeds will benefit The National Domestic Workers Alliance and The Voices of Women Organizing Project (VOW). Following is a note from the organizers:
On February 2nd, The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011 (S.1925) was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee. This is a huge victory, however our work has not ended. Next comes the full Senate vote. Right now, 38 senators are co-sponsors, but 60 are needed to assure final passage. We urge all of our activists call your senators TODAY to make sure that they are on board before the floor vote.
