From the Editor’s Desk: Help the Women of the Congo this V-Day
She could be your little niece, 3-years-old and fully of rare innocence and wonder for the world. She could be your great aunt who is a little crazy and loses her wits when she has a glass of Chardonay. She could be your mother who against all odds, you find yourself turning out to be a lot like, and even repeating some of the phrases you swore you would never repeat. She could be your best friend. Your little sister. Your favorite teacher. Or she could be a complete stranger. Victims of rape can be people we know and love, or they could be people who we have never met, and probably never will. They can live right next door to us or in the next dorm room, or they can be across several oceans and miles. For millions of Congolese women -rape is a constant, consistent and eerily common practice in their lives. According to CBSNews, around 90 percent of the female population in some villages in the Congo have experienced violent rape -ranging in age from three-years-old to sixty. These women have not only experienced rape, but most of them have been victims of gang rape, and of kidnapping -where they were used for whatever their attacker wished for months beyond end, according to CBSNews. While this information is disturbing and extremely saddening, there is a way to help these women you will never meet. You can start by helping to end of global violence against women this Sunday and celebrating V-Day, in addition to your Valentine’s Day festivities. Created by Eve Ensler, V-Day is a movement to end violence against towards women and girls across the world, and raises funds and awareness through V-Day celebrations hosted by universities and organizations globally. According to V-Day.org, over 3,000 events took place in 2007, with numbers growing each year. In addition to raising awareness about what it’s like to be a woman, including performances of Ensler’s The Vagina Monolgoues, the organization picks a philanthropy that will be benefited in part by all the V-Day celebrations. Part of the money raised also goes to local non-profits near the hosting site for each celebration. This Sunday, V-Day 2010 will partner with Stop Raping Our Greatest Resource: Power to the Women in the DRC. This philanthropy is a new global campaign that’s calling attention to the brutal crimes committed against the Congo women. The campaign is initiated by UNICEF and is helping those in the Congo who want to end the violence to receive a voice and funding for educational programs and justice. Through attending V-Day events, donating money to V-Day or to the Congolese campaign, chicks can help to stop this brutal violence committed towards women and give them a hope for their future. V-Day activities can been rewarding, inspiring and engaging and many universities prepare for the big day through fundraisers and educational programs. When I was in college, my university sold cupcakes in the shape of breasts (ranging from AA to Dolly Parton size), breast cancer screenings and the opportunity to have your picture taken with a life-size vagina. While V-Day is about violence, it’s also about raising awareness about what it means to be a woman and the struggles we face as a sex. The Vagina Monologues present an array of performances, including humorous and serious pieces that discuss the experience of being a woman. Attending the monologues is extremely entertaining and will make a chick think about what it’s like to be a female, what it’s like to have a vagina, and to see herself in a completely different light. When attending these events, it’s important to think about what being a woman means to you and how you can help others who never get the opportunity to find the peace and beauty that comes with being female. Donate your money to V-Day, volunteer to help out with events and at the very least, start talking about what’s happening in the Congo. Tell your mother. Your best friend. Your great aunt. Why they may not be victims of these brutal acts, the best friends and mothers of those who have been in the Congo, or anywhere, will be glad you did. The Congo women will face a long road of recovery, even with campaigns like V-Day is hosting. It’s only through women partnering together and working towards a cause as long as it takes, or as V-Day says, “until the violence stops” will victims have a voice and stop being victims, but survivors. Other Organizations/Media Working to Help the Women of the Congo: Lindsay A. Tigar is the Editor-at-Large for ChickSpeak, and hopes with all of her heart that every rape vicitum finds peace and remembers how special, unique and beautiful they are. And that they remember an attacker can’t take your spirit or your soul -those precious items always belong to you.
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