 "Photo: Allison Peck")
They were angry, they were temperamental, they were sad and they were proud - but most of all, the women of "The Vagina Monologues" were taking a stand against sexual violence suffered by women all over the globe.
The Women's Center at UMKC sponsored "The Vagina Monologues" in conjunction with another show, "Any One of Us," to help in their participation in the V-Day movement.
According to the program, V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of "The Vagina Monologues" and several other works.
The monologues in this show featured aspects of women's lives that seemed to ring true at some point in the night with the women in the audience. The laughter, the moans of disgust and the moments of pure silence spoke volumes about the reception of the show.
At the end of the show, there was a spotlight monologue that highlighted a specific group of women in the world who are courageously battling the violence and oppression they face every day. This year's V-Day spotlight focus dealt with women of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The audience seemed to hold its collective breath as the spotlight monologue discussed the atrocities surviving in many parts of Africa, including sexual violence, widespread sexually transmitted infections and female genital mutilation.
The UMKC Women's Center, located on the first floor of Haag Hall, sponsors a wide variety of events in addition to the V-Day movement, including the "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" event for men who take a stand against the rape and sexual assault of women.
For more information about V-Day and the problems in the Democratic Republic of Congo, visit the movement's Web site at www.vday.org.
If you would like to become involved with the UMKC Women's Center or for more information about future events, call (816) 235-6175 or e-mail them at umkcvprp@umkc.edu.
dcampbell@unews.com
