After four years of involvement with “The Vagina Monologues” here at the UR, first as a performer and then as a co-director, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime — to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of “The Vagina Monologues” and the V-Day Campaign in New Orleans over the past weekend. Called “V to the Tenth,” it was a celebration of activism and awareness, brought about by founder/playwright/activist Eve Ensler; it  has raised more than $50 million in ending violence against women and girls around the world. I am very grateful to the Susan B. Anthony Institute at UR for their generous research grant that enabled me to attend this amazing celebration, and to Women’s Caucus for their much-needed support. This weekend was eye-opening and empowering for so many reasons and has truly been life-changing.

As the plane prepared to land, I looked out the window and noticed the lush, green and fertile ground of New Orleans. I realized that I would be immersed in a rich and diverse culture for the next few days. However, walking past a decrepit and abandoned building later that afternoon, the emanating smell of mildew provided a visceral reminder that Hurricane Katrina was still a fresh piece of the city’s history. Many people are still displaced, without homes or jobs. This was part of the reason for holding the V to the Tenth celebration in New Orleans — Ensler wanted to bring 12,000 women of the Katrina Diaspora to come back to their hometown for a celebration in “Superlove,” the temporary name of the Superdome. The women were welcomed with yoga lounges, health and well-being lounges, and make-overs given by professional volunteers from around the country.

What I learned from this weekend was that women’s issues are not just for women — they incorporate all aspects of society, and therefore concern everyone. My mind keeps taking me back to the image of the main stage, with its vagina-shaped backdrop. Although it’s a cute, clever image, it also speaks about the underlying theme, that for too long the word “vagina” has been placed in parentheses, silenced and associated with shame. V-Day is about opening mouths, hearts and minds and listening to what has been silenced for too long. For ten years, it has been doing just that.