Eve Ensler Continues Fight for Women's Issues

 

Writer, actor and activist¹ Eve Ensler has spent her adult life working to support women and women’s causes around the world.

For years, Ensler has visited war zones -- areas of extreme violence. In 2007, she was invited to the Democratic Republic of Congo. She developed an especially close connection with victims of rape² and torture there.

“I think what really struck me about the Congo was the kind of synergistic cauldron of colonialism, capitalism³, racism⁴, insane misogyny. You know all of those violences kind of being enacted⁵ on the bodies of women.”

She worked with Congolese activists⁶ to create a women’s leadership community for survivors⁷ of gender⁸ violence. The shelter, called City of Joy, opened in Bukavu in 2011.

“And it's almost impossible building something in the middle of a war zone. You don't have roads, you don’t have electricity, you don't have...It was madness."

Then, her own life was upset with frightening news. Doctors discovered she had uterine cancer.

“The alchemy of it all was just: you know, change or die.”

Medicine to memoir⁹

Ensler turned months of difficult treatment -- and years of painful memories -- into a book called In the Body of the World: A Memoir of Cancer and Connection.

Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus read the book and wanted to make it a one-woman show.

“I thought it was some of her best writing because it was signature Eve. Philosophy, politics, feminism, all told through humor and her point of view, which she does not shy away from. But it was so deeply personal.”

So,the director met with Ensler and they soon began an intense process to make a play from the book.

In the Body of the World moves between Ensler’s fight with cancer, her painful family history, and her connection to women and nature in the outside world.

Ensler says her own experiences with rape and abuse caused her to mentally disconnect from her body.

“I think my whole life, not only have I been trying to get back into my body, but I've been really working to find ways to support women coming back into their bodies. And cancer did the trick, as well as building City of Joy because those two things together … you know, we were building a place where women could come back into their bodies.”

The show, which recently opened in New York City, has received critical praise. But it is a difficult performance series. Ensler says the play will not travel, unlike her most famous work, The Vagina Monologues¹⁰.

A play that launched a movement

Ensler wrote The Vagina Monologues in 1994 as a celebration of women. But she says the purpose changed over time, becoming a movement to stop violence against women.

Twenty years ago, on February 14, or Valentine’s Day, the first “V-Day” was held. That day, productions of the play in theaters, colleges, and even living rooms, raised millions of dollars toward women’s causes.

I’m Caty Weaver¹¹.

Words in This Story

capitalism – n. an economic system characterized by private or corporate¹² ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined¹³ by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market

misogyny – n. a hatred¹⁴ of women

gender – n. the state of being male or female?

madness – n. behavior or thinking that is wild, foolish or dangerous?

alchemy – n. a power or process that changes or transforms something in a mysterious or impressive way?

signature – adj. closely associated with someone or something: making a person or thing easy to recognize

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

3 capitalism   

n.资本主义

参考例句：

• The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。
• Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。

4 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

5 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

8 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

9 memoir   

n.[pl.]回忆录，自传；记事录

参考例句：

• He has just published a memoir in honour of his captain.他刚刚出了一本传记来纪念他的队长。
• In her memoir,the actress wrote about the bittersweet memories of her first love.在那个女演员的自传中，她写到了自己苦乐掺半的初恋。

10 monologues   

n.（戏剧）长篇独白( monologue的名词复数 )；滔滔不绝的讲话；独角戏

参考例句：

• That film combines real testimonials with monologues read by actors. 电影中既有真人讲的真事，也有演员的独白。 来自互联网
• Her monologues may help her make sense of her day. 她的独白可以帮助她让她一天的感觉。 来自互联网

11 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

12 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

13 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

14 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。