Yoni Ki Baat 2018 Photo Series

This portrait series highlights the beautiful, dynamic, and highly talented women who performed in the Eighth Annual Yoni Ki Baat: Intersection Stories of Womyn of Color.

In its eighth annual appearance on the University of Wisconsin campus, South Asian Sisters presents Yoni Ki Baat: Intersectional Stories from Womyn of Color. Yoni Ki Baat, which literally translates to “talk of the vagina” in Sanskrit is a transformative program of raw, honest monologue performances by self-identifying womyn of color. Through the mediums of spoken word, poetic verse and storytelling, the show allows the audience to reflect on the intersections of race, sexuality, mental health, identity and gender.

Over the years, Yoni Ki Baat on this campus has evolved to foster social justice and inclusion by spotlighting the experiences of ALL UW’s womyn of color. The idea of Yoni Ki Baat is to celebrate our stories and also highlight the work that still needs to be done on women’s physical, emotional and mental health needs. By highlighting these realities, we seek to create a space that actively engages and inspires women of color and their allies in the prospect of supporting their retention and success at UW-Madison.

Yoni Ki Baat is unique, as the learning is more of an exchange of ideas that demonstrates the effectiveness of a grassroots approach to social justice issues. The personal narratives in Yoni Ki Baat achieve this by showcasing various cultures and utilizing the power of a first-person narrative. Ultimately, the production promotes awareness, builds solidarity amongst intersectional women of color and fosters allyship with the community. YKB speaks to the interests of women of color and their allies.

Photo Series and Article by Kiki Arthur