Opinion Essay: The Vagina Monologues address global issues for women

by Katie Bell

VAGINA.

That word is a word not oft used in common discourse, but around Mizzou’s campus in February, it’s hard to go from one building to the next without seeing a flyer, button, or chalkboard with the word on it.

It’s a magical, or as I like to say, vagical, time of year when the MU Vagina Monologues sweep campus.  But the Vagina Monologues go way beyond Mizzou.  It’s not just a campuswide, or even citywide event.

It’s the true international love, (sorry Pitbull), that extends to women and girls worldwide.

International Vaginas: Chinese adaptation of Vagina Monologues breaks gender stereotypes

by Jennifer Liu and Sifan Ouyang

Dressed in variations of red and black attire, 98 women from all parts of the MU community took to the stage of Jesse Auditorium to perform the university’s 12th annual production of the Vagina Monologues.

The performance, originally written by Eve Ensler, is a program within the larger global V-Day Campaign to end violence against women and girls. This year marks the campaign’s 15th year with organizations in 167 countries worldwide participating to raise awareness about the anti-violence movement. A growing player in this feminist collective is China.

“The administrators of the school also changed to support us. For example, we are forbidden to print “阴道” (“vagina) in Chinese, which would otherwise removed by force. However, we don’t have such worries now.” – Guo Sheng, Fudan University

Guo Sheng is a student at Fudan University participating in the Vagina Monologues (also known in China as VM). He began performing with the group during the spring of 2012 and helped to create a new monologue that addresses transgender individuals and their experiences.