London is set to see the opening of the very first bricks and mortar Vagina Museum in Camden Market after a crowdfunding campaign raised almost £50,000 (approx. $61,747.50 USD) from supporters across the globe. Director Florence Schechter, started the project in March 2017 as a pop-up museum after discovering that although Iceland has a Penis Museum, there was no vagina equivalent anywhere in the world.
Two and a half years on, the museum will open its first premises at the heart of Camden Market. Its first exhibition will be Muff Busters: Vagina Myths and How To Fight Them, exploring myths and misconceptions about vaginas, in its dedicated temporary exhibitions space. It opens to the public on Saturday 16th November. Breaking down stigmas around vaginas is one of the Museum’s foundations and it has never been more important as 65% of 16-25 year old women say they have a problem using the words vagina or vulva (Eve Appeal, 2016) and over a quarter (26.7%) of 25-29 year olds in Britain are too embarrassed to attend cervical screening (Jo’s Trust, 2017). By promoting healthy and informed conversations, the Vagina Museum hopes to empower people with vaginas.
“This is a part of the body that should be celebrated,” says Schechter. “The museum is a fantastic way to spread the message that there is nothing shameful or offensive about vaginas and vulvas.”
The Vagina Museum will produce an outreach program that will support healthy and inclusive sex and relationships education, engaging with doctors and other medical professionals to provide better services and support the trans and intersex communities.
“As a trans person I know how much the world is obsessed with my neo- vagina but also how little the world actually knows about my neo- vagina, all that means is intrusion without safety or empowered pleasure. The more we celebrate all vaginas; their beauty, their pleasure, their sheer brilliance, then, the more sex and body positivity and safety we create. I support the Vagina Museum because whose vagina or neo vagina doesn’t deserve a pedestal?” said Juno Roche, writer and campaigner for trans rights.
The museum is already being lauded for its shame-free, fact-based approach to women’s sexual health and bodily autonomy by some notable institutions.
“We have recently collaborated with the Vagina Museum to engage women in conversations about some of the taboos that exist around women’s health. Both organizations share a common mission of spreading knowledge and raise awareness of gynecological anatomy and health. We believe the museum will be a huge asset to help people to understand women’s health and to talk about it more openly,” said Dr Alison Wright, Vice President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Local representatives also recognize the importance of progressive and inclusive institutions like the Vagina Museum, especially being the first in the world, as they have a great opportunity to break down taboos and start important cultural conversations.
“Camden has a proud and radical history of challenging prejudice and orthodoxy, however, we acknowledge that the stigma associated with talking about gynecological health has meant ignorance, confusion, shame, and poor medical care for too many. Almost half of 18-to-24 year old women say they are too embarrassed to talk about sexual health issues. We are therefore incredibly excited that the Vagina Museum is seeking to establish in Camden, and hope that it is funded to provide an inclusive and intersectional centre for learning, creativity, activism, and outreach that will add immeasurably to our collective understanding of our bodies,” remarks Leader of Camden Council, Councillor Georgia Gould.
The museum will also host a packed events program, with stand-up comedy, film screenings, workshops, talks, quiz nights and more, a shop full of vulva and vagina merchandise and a membership scheme. The membership scheme is available for £50 for one year and friends’ benefits include 10% off in the shop and on events, invitations to private views of upcoming exhibitions and an exclusive e-newsletter. For more information on how to join the Fanny Pack, visit www.vaginamuseum.co.uk or email friends@vaginamuseum.co.uk. You can also follow the Vagina Museum on social media:
Twitter: @vagina_museum
Instagram: @vagina_museum
Facebook: facebook.com/vmuseum
