JOIN US'Right now, we need miracles'
Women don’t have knowledge of their vaginas, if we don’t realise that our vagina is attached to us and part of us then lots of terrible things could be done to our vaginas,” exclaims Eve Ensler as she battles “a terrible flu” like just another germ of patriarchy infecting the society!
Upfront, bold, confident and not one to pull her punches, Eve Ensler, the very articulate American playwright, feminist and activist, makes her statement and her intention clear. She is currently in India to lend support to the cause of women and participate in events held across the city in memory of Nirbhaya, who met a horrific end at the hand of her rapists in December last year.
Attired in a bright pink kurti, her wrists adorned with shiny pink bangles the gender rights icon is a woman with a mission.
“We have a worldwide movement,” she says referring to the One Billion Rising (OBR) campaign. “Its about power and making sure there isn’t violence against women and people. It is important that we come and support people in India who are rising against gender-related violence in this country,” she says pointing to Fatima Khatoon and Md Kalam - survivor leaders of red-light areas at Apne Aap Women Worldwide office in the City.
“There is something amazing happening in India,” she continues as her spirited voice turns solemn, “There is an unearthing, an energy, a spirit which we have to really keep blowing so that it takes fire,” and memories of her last visit to India, during the December 16 gang rape outrage, enliven in her imagination.
“I was here then,” she says,”The movement has escalated over the year. It was pushed back, yet women came out. We recently faced another push back with Section 377 but you have to really go further to end the injustice. You have to take the next steps of arresting these men who are doing these things to the girls!” The notes of resistance return in her voice as she holds men accountable for th e suffering of women across the globe.
“The priests and all the patriarchs are involved in this - you cannot do this to the bodies of girls, women. Unfortunately, the woman doesn’t own her body, destiny or future,” she laments reaching out to Indian women. “I feel deepest solidarity with the women of India and if I can be here and lend my support and energy then I want to do that!”
Looking forward to see the Marathi version of her popular play, The Vagina Monologues, Eve holds tight to ‘artivism’ - a term which she coined. “I think the reason OBR was so successful was because it was about ‘dance’.
It was something where women could be in their bodies, touch the earth, they could dissolve their boundaries -- all that with new energy and co-operation and, no one could control it! When we think imaginatively about changing things, we go beyond logic and achieve miracles. And right now, we need miracles,” she signs off expecting a huge turnout for OBR on February 14.