The Vagina Monologues

Written by Susan Celia Swan, V-Day Executive Director and Purva Panday Cullman, V-Day Senior Programs Director, Part 3 of The Vagina Monologues (2018) details 20 years of V-Day and its impact on the world. V-Day became a movement following the production of The Vagina Monologues. On V-Day each year—which is observed on Valentine’s Day—people around the world perform the play to raise awareness about violence against women and build community. At the time of publication of this edition, V-Day had raised more than $100 million to donate to rape shelters, crisis centers, reform laws that protect or harm women, and activists working to end violence against women. This segment notes that V-Day and The Vagina Monologues are as timely now as they were when the play was produced since one in three women will experience violence in their lifetime—which amounts to more than “one billion women” (171).

The authors note that in the United States, Donald Trump’s presidency threatens women across the country and worldwide, and women are still undereducated and subjected to poverty and political instability—circumstances that increase exposure to violence. V-Day believes that, despite these circumstances, hope for women resides in community building, sharing stories, and speaking out about violence.