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The V-Day movement is here again and
so is the vaginal monologues.
This year’s monologues was held
penultimate Saturday at Planet One,
a popular entertainment/event place
in Maryland, Ikeja Lagos.
According to Amy Ojekunle, the
program manager for the Kudirat’s
Initiative for Democracy (KIND), the
organizers of the event, “The Vagina
Monologues” is a play centered on
empowering women and men to hear and
speak openly about sexual violence
experienced, witnessed, feared or
fought. It is a play written by an
American called Eve Ensler, an
award-winning
playwright/performer/activist after
her interviews with 200 women from
different parts of the world on
their memories and experiences of
sexuality and to celebrate their
strengths. The Vagina Monologues has
been translated into 45 languages
and performed in over 81 countries
till date and it has since inspired
the creation of the V-Day Movement -
a global campaign to stop violence
against women and girls.
When asked the reason for bringing
the play to Nigeria the second time
and also if the awareness raised the
first time was not enough, Mrs
Ojekunle stated that “we did raise
awareness the first time and we were
quite pleased with it, but, until
the violence meted out to women
stops, we will continue to raise the
awareness.”
According to
her, Nigerians are gradually coming
out of their shells to embrace the
idea. Some see it as vulgar and
others understand and see the need
for it.
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Talking about the challenges faced by KIND in putting
this year’s show together, she admitted “it has not been
easy getting any support, financially or otherwise, from
the government and corporate bodies but a few companies
like Emzor Pharmaceuticals, Planet One Entertainment,
Silver Bird Group, Zmirage, Jil Meridean Ventures,
Kristaville, Muson Center, Nu-Metro Media Stores, Ruff
‘n’ Tumble and other individuals have helped out.”
The stage play had on its crew- Ifeoma Fafunwa directing
the play, Joke Silva being the producer while the
actresses include Kate Henshaw Nuttall, Iyabo Amoke,
Omonor Imobhio, Iretiola Doyle, Rita Dominic, Teni
Aofiyebi, and Zara Udofia. who played their parts with
all the naturalness and simplicity imaginable.
There was also Marie Ekpere who described the menstrual
cycle as one of the characteristics of the vagina and
how the male gender ought to accept the vagina the way
it is and why the women should be proud of what they
have.
The various manifestations of violence against women
were all dramatized in the monologues. Violence such as
harassment faced by women in short skirts. This segment
was played by Kate, Zara and Teni.
It was not only a night of glitz and glamour, but a
night of tutorials on how women should be proud of their
femininity and their vagina in all its characteristics. |
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