“They tell us to stay in our caves. Live there and you will be safe,” read Elizabeth Andres in her performance of “Woman,” a prose piece by British-Pakistani writer Tariq Ali.
“If no person can see you, then he can’t harm you. It’s only when you reveal yourself that you expose your person to danger. Out of sight, out of mind, out of rape.
“We will not live like that.”
The piece Andres read is part of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and a Prayer, a dramatic production composed of readings from a collection of essays, skits, poems and short stories that address violence against women.
The production was presented by the Flin Flon Women’s Resource Centre on Saturday night in honour of V-Day, an annual event which aims to put a stop to violence against women and girls.
In the Hapnot Collegiate gymnasium, 14 local men and women, dressed in red and black, performed the dramatic readings. Ranging in tone from funny to tragic to heart-wrenching, the readings harnessed the attention of the audience.
Collectively, the readers sent a powerful message about the need for a world where all women and girls experience equality, dignity and freedom from fear.
At the conclusion of the performance, Courtney Gieg, counsellor with the Women’s Resource Centre, announced that the event had raised over $2,500 for Flin Flon Women’s Safe Haven, a local shelter for women and children escaping domestic violence.
