Vulva liefde

Do you know what Yoni means? Yoni is Sanskrit for Vagina. With a capital V, because it is perhaps the most respectful word for vagina there is.

This name for the female genitals is unfortunately not always honored. Worldwide, the female genitals are circumcised, mutilated but also voluntarily “corrected”. Why do we not have more respect for our Yoni’s?

Mandy Smith, initiator of No More Cutting, and designer behind Papersmith Studio, asked herself the same question when she delved into genital mutilation. She came across two major topics that have to do with our Yonis.

First, she discovered how big and comprehensive the problem of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is. Approximately 200 million women worldwide have undergone some form of genital surgery. 3 million girls per year, approximately 8,700 per day, are genitally mutilated, often without anesthesia, for religious and cultural reasons.

Mandy was amazed by the figures. But besides the enormous scale of FGM, she came across a second phenomenon that is much bigger than she initially expected: the cosmetic industry and the unrealistic beauty ideal surrounding vaginas in Western countries. Other research shows that in 2016, 45% more labia corrections were performed than the year before (source: ISAPS ). And that while women all have different types, sizes and shapes of vaginas. Very normal, right?!

Women and their Yonis are a hot topic worldwide. But shouldn’t we embrace our vaginas a little more?

Did you know that the vaginal opening is only one part of the vulva? The vulva is actually everything you see on the outside.

With her project  No More Cutting,  Mandy Smith folds vulvas from paper to address both issues. By turning them into a traveling artwork, she wants to break the vulva taboo and make both issues discussable.

Each vulva in the image below is hand-folded and unique. And you too can  send your vulva to discuss Yoni’s.

Embrace your vulva in all its forms, and stand up for all yonis who are not allowed to make this choice themselves. Talk about it with friends, girlfriends and family: start a conversation about this topic. We are curious about your stories! Send me an email: christel@yoni.care