In this article, we are going to discuss three amazing movements that are occurring across the next week and a half at Elizabethtown College. We are going to dive into V-Day, One Billion Rising, and “The Vagina Monologues” and learn where they came from, why they are important and what Elizabethtown College is doing in its partnership with these organizations.
V-Day: “The Global Movement To End Violence Against Women and Girls”
V-Day is celebrated every year on Valentine’s Day in hopes to spark conversation about violence against women and girls worldwide. The movement began with Eve Ensler, the playwright for “The Vagina Monologues”, in 1998 in a hope to create dialogue, inspire people and create opportunities for others around them. There are four core beliefs paired with V-Day as stated on the organization’s website:
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Art has the power to transform thinking and inspire people to act
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Lasting social and cultural change is spread by ordinary people doing extraordinary things
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Local women best know what their communities need and can become unstoppable leaders
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One must look at the intersection of race, class, and gender to understand violence against women
One Billion Rising: Revolution and Solidarity
One Billion Rising is similar to V-Day and was started on Valentine’s Day of 2012 when the statistic was released that one in three women will be beaten or raped in their lifetime. Over the years, they have had multiple themes including focusing on justice reform, rising above the challenges and statistics, revolting so there is change and finally to rise in solidarity. For 2017 and 2018, the theme has been Rising in Solidarity to show that women face multiple forms of exploitation and oppression. The demand from this theme? Help end exploitation and oppressions against women and girls worldwide through the 2018 One Billion Rising campaign.
“The Vagina Monologues”: Monologues About Our Vaginas?
Written in 1994, Eve Ensler wrote “The Vagina Monologues” to help share what women around the world were feeling, experiencing and seeing with their fellow women. After Eve interviewed multiple women from different races, ages, sexualities, religions and more, the monologues were created in hopes of addressing sexualities and the stigma that society has become associated with rape and abuse. Today, colleges around the globe perform “The Vagina Monologues” to spread the word of what is happening to women globally and to fight for women’s rights.
Elizabethtown College’s Participation
Since V-Day is celebrating its 20th year as an organization, Elizabethtown College has decided to join the campaign. Leading up to V-Day, Stonewall Hall, the LGBTQ+ floor on campus, is hosting tabling events. At these events, the group has been selling t-shirts, chocolate vaginas, and selling tickets to the campus performance of “The Vagina Monologues.” Sales will continue to take place in the BSC concourse Wednesday, February 14 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. In accordance to rules from V-Day, 90% of the proceeds collected are to be donated to an organization working to help with women’s rights and the violence associated with rape and assault. Elizabethtown students decided that the donations would be given to the Lancaster YWCA. Instead of purchasing tickets for the event, students can donate hygiene products and notebooks as their admission to the event, which would also be donated to the Lancaster YWCA.
Come to the show and support women! Hope to see you February 23rd at 8:30 pm in the KAV in the BSC on campus.