I am one of the many volunteers bringing “The  Vagina Monologues” to Oliver and Osoyoos. This award-wining play will be  performed by a group of wonderful local women, none of them professional actors, at the Osoyoos Secondary School Theatre on Saturday April 6, 7 pm.

Now, one strange thing: I am an old retired male. I became involved in this project because, for a long time, I have  been concerned about violence, particularly to women and girls. When I read  about this performance I wanted to be involved, since one of the core messages  of the play is stopping violence to women and girls. I have a baby granddaughter  and I can’t even imagine what would I do if something like this ever happened to  her or to her mother.

I’ve been reading books, articles, the news, and I know rape has been with us from the beginning of history. In times of war, rape  is almost a valid prize for the conquerors, and no one is ever punished  for those crimes (even today). In our modern society, hiring a good lawyer may  allow rich kids to avoid any penalty after they rape someone.

I think something fundamental is missing, or not  properly addressed, in all the programs of stopping violence. They usually focus  on the victims, mainly females, after the act of being raped or abused  (verbally, physically, emotionally). But there are very few programs focusing on  preventing this violence.

Furthermore, very few programs are focused on the  male side of the equation. Meaning, in the majority of these rape and abuse  cases, men are the perpetrator, the root-cause of the problem.

We have seen lately that that there is lots of  talk about bullying: why  is it happening so much? How to stop it? And so on.

I think it is long time  overdue we need to do the same about educating men on No More Violence to  Women and Children. We need to tell all men that being violent is wrong,  that this is not manly.

Attending “The Vagina Monologues” performance is a  good start guys, come on, be brave! Stand for something that is good.

And yes, you will enjoy seeing this play in the  company of your wife, your girlfriend, your teenage daughter, your mother, your  sisters.

By the way, I had the chance to see this play a  few years back and it is very powerful, inspiring, even funny.

Norberto Rodriguez de la Vega
Oliver