The Vagina Monologues Why a Womyn of Color Identified Production?

What does it mean to be a Womyn of Color? Based on self-identification, a womyn of color is a womyn-identified person that also identifies with a community of color. This self-identification can be said to be claimed by the womyn in those communities that have experienced racism and oppression due to racism.

Why a Womyn of Color Production? This years reason for an all WOC VMON production is to create a safe and self-empowering space and experience for the womyn of color-identified cast and production team. This is also an opportunity to help foster the role of being an ally.

Our Goals To create a safe and self-empowering space and experience for the womyn of color identified cast and production team. To raise funds and awareness about the violence, trauma, resistance, and resilience experienced by womyn from communities of color. To help allies develop their skills. Allies have the opportunity to assist in the event and have the opportunity to join the planning committee. Allies will play a supporting role to contribute to the production.

Violence Against Womyn of Color When a womyn of color suffers abuse, this abuse is not just an attack on her identity as a womyn, but on her identity as a person of color. Violence against womyn of color is a combination of violence directed at certain communities (war, colonialism, etc.) and violence that occurs within communities (rape, domestic violence). Violence against womyn of color occurs on a global and local level.

Violence Against WOC Within Communities of Color Womyn that are victims of violence often times feel pressure within their communities which leads to them being silenced or ignored. The pressure of belonging to that community is often prioritized over identifying as a womyn. Belonging to two groups that are continuously oppressed is cause for a womyn to be forced to prioritize issues of being a part of a certain community over the issues involved with being a womyn who is highly at risk of violence.

History of Violence Against Womyn of Color Colonialism: In the eyes of colonizers, the bodies of people of color were the dirtiest on earth. Common weapon of conquest on Native womyn was sexual violence. Racism: White slave-owners used slaves to reproduce an exploitable labor force. Because black womyn were seen as property of their slave-owners, their rape at the hands of these men did not count.

Sex Trafficking of WOC and Immigrant WOC Immigrant womyn have endured a long history of sexual exploitation in the U.S. Womyn were often lured in to the U.S. with the promise of a stable marriage or job, only to find themselves trapped in the sex trade.

Sex Trafficking of WOC and Immigrant WOC cont. Racially discriminatory employment laws forced thousands of Chinese immigrant womyn into prostitution. Undocumented survivors of violence face many barriers to accessing services as a result of their legal status.

Not So Happy Facts: Present Day Context 43% of womyn will be raped (including marital rape) and ½ womyn in the U.S. will be battered in their lifetime.

Who Is to Blame??? Often times, the victim will be blamed. In a situation where a non-English speaking Latina was battered, her attacker was acquitted, she was continually questioned because she couldnt speak English.

Cries for Help Go Ignored Anti-violence advocates demand longer prison sentencing for batterers and sex offenders, but the criminal justice system has always been brutally oppressive toward communities of color. An African American homeless womyn calls the police because she has been the victim of group rape. The police arrest her for prostitution.

Silencing WOC Victims of Violence Laws passed to protect battered womyn are actually protecting their batterers. Womyn of color are generally in prison as a direct or indirect result of gender violence.

Lack of Resources for WOC Victims of Violence Sufficient safety mechanisms do not exist in the restorative justice model in prison for womyn, many of which are imprisoned as victims.

SOLUTIONS!!! We must develop community-based models of accountability in which the community will actually hold the perpetrator accountable. By supporting organizations like INCITE! (helps in combating violence against WOC in all its forms), a national movement can be formed to nurture the health and well-being of womyn in communities of color.

Bringing It All back to UCD WOC VMON!!! Through this years Vagina Monologues Production, we hope to support communities of color globally (spotlight campaign on Haiti) and locally (My Sisters House and Imani Clinic) to help create a space in which womyn from communities of color can find ways of self-nurture and find the support needed to achieve self-empowerment.

Resources We hope to successfully provide these and many other Resources locally as VDAY does globally WRRC INCITE! Holla Back VDAY Imani Clinic My Sisters House (Sacramento) Opening Doors

UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS!!!!!!!