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Vagina Sisters, Crying Men, Soap Opera Stars and Sushi: The Story of the Monologues in Belgrade

Jelena Djordjevic*

1 Introduction of the possibility for bringing performance one day before the V-Day is a global movement to peace and coexistence of different Orthodox Easter. In a country stop and cultures and religions. It was where the church is gaining girls. Through the promotion of aimed at strengthening women’s power each day, it was interesting creative events that celebrate solidarity and support and sending to see how only a few days before women’s sexuality, like the Vagina a strong political message Easter the whole town talked Monologues,1 V-Day increases demanding an end to violence about and women’s awareness, raises money and against women. The performance . This was stirred by two ‘revitalises’ the energy of existing of Vagina Monologues in different television clips with which we organisations working to stop Slavic languages enabled women introduced the whole idea of violence against women. The across regional borders to Vagina Monologues to Serbian V-Day movement has spread understand each other through society one week before the play. widely around the world. Last the universal language of their Both clips were taken from Abby year there were 2,300 events and bodies. Each of these Epstein’s documentary Until the celebrations, in over 1,100 cities, performances empowered Violence Stops, which captures the villages and towns. Since 2000, participation of women in public, impact of V-Day in five different several V-Day events have been strengthened solidarity among international communities. In the held in the Balkan region. They women coming from different first clip, women from around the took place in Sofia in Bulgaria, ethnicities and speaking different world were saying vagina in Bucharest and Jas in Romania, languages, strengthened visibility different languages. The second Skopje in Macedonia, Ljubljana in of women’s struggles against one showed a woman playing one Slovenia, Sarajevo in Bosnia and violence, and provided support to of the monologues in which she Herzegovina, and Zagreb in women’s groups through raising performs triple . We loved Croatia. At the beginning of funds. In this article, I tell the story that one. It was so empowering 2006, the Serbian Anti-Trafficking of the staging of V-Day in and humorous. It said what Vagina Center (ATC) brought V-Day to Belgrade, and use it to reflect on Monologues is about: about us, our Belgrade for the first time. the promise of the V-Day bodies and how we (and society) movement in struggles for the relate to them. Unfortunately, The events that took place in realisation of women’s sexual some television stations refused to different cities of the Balkan rights. air the second video clip. Some of region around the celebration of them had a problem with airing V-Day brought together activism 2 Belgrade: new vagina city the first one as well: ‘Too many and art, memories and singing, The Vagina Monologues were times the word vagina is repeated’ vision and celebration of women’s brought to Belgrade for the first one television director told us. ‘It bodies. Staging V-Day in this time on 22 April 2006. It was is almost Easter and I am not sure region, which was for years something that ATC activists had that people would be happy devastated by wars in former been planning for years. By about it’. Yugoslavia, provided a metaphor coincidence, we scheduled the

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3 Reclaiming our bodies and who participated taught us how Vagina Monologues were to be our desires: the ‘Vagina to heal the body with voice, touch performed by women activists in Workshop’ and massage, how to sustain our venues where we usually organise Before the play, the ATC bodily selves. It was trans- different workshops, panels and organised a ‘Vagina Workshop’ for generational sharing and healing performances, not many people 40 women activists and one gay with much power, strength and would come. We would only be man. Participants came from humour. able to attract those that were different towns of Serbia, from already within ‘our’ circles. But Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia 4 Reaching out to a wider how do you reach out to others, and Macedonia. The Vagina society how you reach out to the Monologues had already been When we organise conferences, ‘unreachable’? performed in each of those workshops and other events, we countries. The ‘Vagina Workshop’ always see the same faces. It feels The V-Day movement involves was a space for activists to talk like we are talking to each other enlisting celebrities to draw the about those things that they all the time. Finding ways of attention of society at large to usually do not talk about – reaching out to different issues that would otherwise not ourselves. One of the activists said communities, and engaging wider make it to the general public. By that for all the 70 years of her life society is crucial if violence against getting celebrities to perform the she had never had an orgasm. This women is to be addressed. But it Vagina Monologues, whether they reminded us how many of us is not easy. How do you talk are known as actresses, singers, learned about our bodies through about violence against women in politicians, sports players or violence rather than pleasure, but a society that has been business women, visibility is also how important it is to create overwhelmed with war crimes for assured. So this is what we did. these spaces where we talk about more than ten years, and has Beatriz Luengo, an actress from ourselves, our desires and our acquired such a high level of Spain who stars in a Spanish bodies. We had time to think tolerance to violence? How do television soap opera that is about it, away from our daily you put violence against women hugely popular in Serbia, helped work, activism and families. We on the agenda at a time of us in that, together with Myleene reminded ourselves that we need economic transition, where other Klass, a pop star from the UK, and time to self-reflect, to look at issues are seen as a bigger priority ten other amazing and famous ourselves more deeply, because than human rights, especially actresses from Serbia and one only by change in ourselves, the women’s rights? How do you find from Croatia. change we envision for the world innovative ways to grab people’s can happen. A Shaman woman attention? We knew that if the

Activists participating in the ‘Vagina Workshop'

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Participants drew their own, unique vaginas

5 Soap stars as women’s rights how important this play was for everything was set for the play, campaigners them personally – how vulnerable securing a back-up camera, Beatriz Luengo is famous among and at the same time powerful communicating with two airline 12–17-year-old girls. As one they felt while performing the companies about the lost luggage newspaper article wrote: monologues; and how they are of one of our guest actresses ‘Hundreds of young girls came to familiar with the stories that the (subsequently we had to secure see the Vagina Monologues, but monologues describe. They knew back-up for her clothes and not because of its provocative them from their own experience make-up since her baggage was content but because of the as well as the experience of other delayed) and batteries for participation of their idol Bea’. women around them. Seeing microphones for actresses to Yes, they came to see Bea and at them on the stage performing perform in a few hours (the the same time they heard about and hearing their stories batteries on the microphones the vaginas, clitorises, pleasure and afterwards about how important actresses used on their last orgasm. They heard about , the monologues were for each of rehearsal had run out), getting sexual abuse, , genital them, I knew these are our new sushi seemed an impossible task. mutilation, domestic violence. allies. But once the actresses were out They also heard about being there on the stage bringing the . They heard about how to Now when it is all over, with a message out to the people I love their bodies. And that was a smile I remember a phone call I forgot about it all. Because what success. received from a few of the these women were saying and actresses in the middle of the the passion with which they said 6 From behaving like divas to chaos, asking me to order them a it helped each of us to relate to it. becoming new allies in making sushi: ‘Is there anything else you That is the reason why it was so change happen actresses would like to eat except powerful. It was about each of us As for other actresses, they sushi?’ (which we could only get and that is why it made so much passed through their personal from a very expensive restaurant sense. As one of the actresses transformations while reading the on the other side of town that said, she had never received such monologues. Each monologue is a was impossible to reach due to applause in all the years she had personal story of a woman about the international marathon that been acting; ‘Well, this is not her body. It was beautiful to see took place on the day of the play). Shakespeare my dear’, said the how the actresses were moved ‘No, we want only sushi, and can other, ‘this is us’. and touched by each monologue. they bring it to us as soon as After the play some of them possible’, the actress replied. In Men in the audience were crying came to us individually and said the chaos of making sure that and were not ashamed of it.

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Actresses performing together

Women were laughing and 7 Using Vagina Monologues to touched and moved to get this crying. The women I spoke with acknowledge women’s support. Although they had been after the performance told me activism during the war working for ten years, this was that it was an empowering An important characteristic of the their first official grant. KOLO event. Most of the men I asked Vagina Monologues performance is works with women who are could hardly define what that it was a fundraising event. survivors of rape camps in Bosnia happened. But I believe the We decided that the beneficiaries and Herzegovina, some of which Vagina Monologues made them of this event should be women were run by Serbian paramilitary understand the reality of many from a grassroots organisation in forces. During 1992–5, Bosnia and women. There was no anger or Travnik in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Herzegovina witnessed over three defensiveness. called KOLO. They were so years of brutal war among the Anita Matic from Croatia performing

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Actresses, activists and the audience applauding after the play

Serb, Croat and Bosniak over former Yugoslavia to take ask all of you who will make sure population, following the break- part in events that were from this very day that no up of Yugoslavia. Some of KOLO’s organised before the play. Having violence will be committed activists are themselves survivors all those activists present, against any woman or girl, or of the rape camps. Inviting including KOLO from Bosnia and anybody else, to stand up and women from this organisation to Herzegovina, and an actress from continue standing’. The whole come up on the stage to receive Croatia, showed that the lines of audience was on its feet. People the grant, in front of an audience ethnic divide that fuelled the war were crying and laughing. ‘Is it of 700 people representing in former Yugoslavia can be possible that so many people Serbian society was very crossed with such a small step. know somebody who experienced powerful. It was a public violence?’ asked an actress acknowledgement of their work, Rada Boric was the first person to standing next to me. ‘I did not and of everything they, the bring the Vagina Monologues to know, but now I see.’ She women they work with and other Croatia, Macedonia and Sarajevo continued, ‘This knowledge is hard women like them had in Bosnia and Herzegovina in but I want to tell you that if you experienced during the war in 2000, together with , ever need me to support your former Yugoslavia. In a period the play writer and V-Day cause and to help raise awareness when Serbia is confronting its founder. Once the play was over, like we did just now, please call difficult past, acknowledging what Rada joined us on-stage and me. I will be there for you’. these women experienced and invited everyone in the audience survived during the conflict and who had experienced violence in 9 Beyond Vagina Monologues how they worked to rebuild the their lives to stand up. There were The Vagina Monologues has proved communities when the conflict only a few that dared. ‘OK, maybe to be a powerful tool to enable was over, is an important step you are scared and you think you communities to talk about towards reconciliation. are alone in that, which is women’s sexuality. As shown completely understandable, but to above, the performance in 8 Breaking the silence around show you that you are not alone I Belgrade connected together violence would like to ask all of you who many issues: pleasure and After the play, together with two know a woman or a girl that women’s sexuality, actresses and other activists, I went on-stage to experienced violence in her life to activists across generations, many thank people who came to watch stand up’, said Rada. At that coming from former Yugoslavia the play and support the cause. moment, almost the whole and crossing the lines of ethnic We also thanked the actresses audience was on its feet. ‘And divides that once fuelled the war. and activists that came from all now’, Rada said, ‘I would like to This performance also brought

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Beatriz Luengo and Myleene Klass on the stage after the play

men into the struggle for a more continue with this kind of initiative, catalyst for change that remains equitable society. as this is an amazing tool with accessible to everyone. A necessary which we can discuss women’s further step will be to make the Because the venue for the event sexuality in the Serbian public. Vagina Monologues ‘trans inclusive’ was one of the most prestigious Extraordinary energy was – that is, to encourage theatres in Belgrade, we tried to generated after the performance participation of all of those who make the event as accessible as as well as an amazing network of identify as a woman, including possible to the wider public new allies who will now support transgendered women, as has through selling cheap tickets. The ATC in its work on social change. happened in performances diversity of actresses as well as the For the next year, ATC hopes to elsewhere in the world. presence of Beatriz Luengo and bring Vagina Monologues to smaller Myleene Klass helped us in communities and towns, and to attracting hundreds of young girls schools. It envisages continuing to to come and watch the play. After perform it as a commercial event the great success of the event, ATC while making sure that it does not recognises that there is a need to become an elitist gathering but a

Beatriz Luengo with fans after the play

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Sandra Ljubinkovic, Jelena Djordjevic and Rada Boric

Notes Djurkovic, Milica Djuric and 1 Play by Eve Ensler developed * I would like to acknowledge Darko Lalic. I enjoyed every out of interviews with 200 the inspiring work of Sandra moment working with each of women of different ethnicities, Ljubinkovic and the whole ATC them on Vagina Monologues. sexual orientation and age team that worked together Also, without the help of Rada talking about their vaginas. tirelessly to make this event Boric, Tamin Larby and a happen: Sinisa Djuric, Jelena number of ATC volunteers, this Milic, Marijana Stojcic, Natasa event would not have been as Ljubinkovic, Adam Puskar, Bora special as it was.

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