V-Day Thailand

I'm writing from the Freedom Cafe in Bangkok, Thailand, one of the largest, craziest cities I've ever visited and the perfect starting point for my Southeast Asian adventure. Thailand is called the "Land of a Thousand Smiles," but underneath all those happy faces lies a grim reality: the country is one of the global epicenters for sex trafficking and prostitution. One study estimates that there are approximately 2.8 million sex workers in Thailand, and another puts the value of the sex industry at US$4.3 billion. Stories of sex slavery and child prostitution are absolutely horrific, and the Thai government seems to do little about it. Read more about the situation here.

My friend Alanna, who works for a sustainable development NGO here in Bangkok, glimpsed some of the horrors of the sex industry first-hand when her company put her up in a hotel in one of the city's notorious red light districts. She was appalled by what she saw happening on the streets around her and decided to take action. Realizing that discussion about women's rights was limited, she decided to team up with V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women and girls, to stage a performance of the Vagina Monologues, Eve Ensler's famous feminist play, here in Bangkok. What started as a small project has exploded, attracting tons of attention from the Thai press. The show, which will benefit the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women, goes up February 27 and 28 and March 1 at the Patravadi theatre on the bank of the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok. Check out Alanna's blog for more info, and be sure to leave her a comment to show your support!

Until next time,
Jess
CosmoGirl Travel Blogger