Yes, those are needlework portraits of vulvas. If the image makes you uncomfortable, please keep reading anyway.
The Embroideries Campaign is not about shock value or sexuality, per se. It is about bringing an end to female genital mutilation. The practice of altering female genitals to protect a girl’s marriageability is still widespread in some parts of the world. This surgery not only robs women of sexual joy, but also can complicate childbirth, affect general health, or even result in death from infection or hemmorhage.
To raise awareness and combat this tradition, the Embroideries Campaign invites women worldwide to create 7″ x 7″ works on fabric depicting healthy vulvas “as abstract or accurate as you like.” Needlework has been chosen as the medium for these works because it is usually the traditional domain of women and because the Persian word for genital alteration is “embroidery.” The works submitted by contributors will be joined into a patchwork wall hanging and displayed in public to invite media coverage of this issue. You can get more details about the project and submission instructions at the Embroideries Campaign web site.
I think this is a great project. Little girls are subject to painful “procedures” where they are mutilated…from sewing the vulva closed to pricking the clitoris. No woman or GIRL should ever be subject to such cruelty!
Awesome! These would be great way to raise awareness of male mutilation as well!
Thank you for writing this important post! I have already started on my embroidery so there will be at least one contribution from Sweden. I will write a blogpost about it when it`s finished and help spread the word.
Female genital mutiliation is a dark, barbaric, religious and cultural practice that is not going to be changed by raising awareness. The embroideries are are frankly disturbing and disgusting and will have little effect for the poor girls suffering such brutality.