V-Day Blog Archive

Why Africa Must Face Up to the Vagina Monologues (The Nation – Nairobi)

http://allafrica.com/stories/200603130258.html

The eve of International Women’s Day found me heading to the Carnivore to watch Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues for the first time. The proceeds were earmarked for a worthy cause, I was there to support a friend who was taking part in the readings, but largely, I came to feed my curiosity: What could more than a dozen women have to say about that rarely discussed, most private part of their anatomy for over an hour? Would we be walking out bored after ten minutes, demanding our money back? Turns out there was a lot to say, scream, moan and shout about. The show lasted all of two hours!

Sitting there sipping some good Kenyan coffee to warm our cold bones, at first I didn’t know what to expect of this room full of expectant women and a few nervous but courageous men. I had asked a friend to book front row seats, figuring this was bound to be one steamy ride and we didn’t want to miss any of it. Yet, once the cast came on stage, and the audience calmed down the mood shifted to oddly comforting albeit slightly embarrassing at times. It does tend to get a bit much when the word vagina is repeated hundreds of times in one evening!

We Africans don’t talk about such things, well not loudly anyway. And even when we talk about sex, we rarely mention the parts involved in the act.

Truth be known, I shudder as I write about it, let alone say it. Blame it on our socialisation that in most cultures makes girls hate whatever is “down there”. After all, where else in the world are women punished so severely for being women, for possessing this part of their anatomy? In many cultures, it had to be cut out and thrown away to prepare the girl for womanhood. According to some cultural diehards, removing a girl’s private parts would stop her from becoming sexually promiscuous before and during marriage. Today, hundreds of thousands of girls are still forced to undergo female circumcision, performed in the crudest of ways in many parts of Africa.

Where else in the world do girls use cow dung or sit on sand during their menses because they can not afford sanitary towels? Where else are young girls under ten, raped as part of a cleansing ceremony or cure for HIV positive men? Is it any wonder that girls grow into women who associate this part of their bodies as a source of deep personal pain and shame? Is it then surprising that they are shocked and forced into silence by societal scorn for their womanhood, and that they, in turn, perpetuate that same scorn and silence on their daughters?

The monologues are a study in contradictions. Irreverent, yet at times righteous, shockingly frank yet occasionally naive. They are disturbing, yet hilarious. It is true that the monologues are not for everyone, and some parts, the transvestite monologue being a case in point, sound foreign.

However, in the sense that women are the same everywhere, this study of female sexuality becomes relevant. Contrary to some misconceptions, the show isn’t about women bashing men or even, about sex. It is about women exploring their womanhood and how they feel about themselves. It is about the things – rape, violence, circumcision etc – that make women hate their womanhood.

That said, everyone must make up their own mind when it comes to the Vagina Monologues. And even if we can’t stomach the show, we must find ways and opportunities to talk about our sexuality, examine why we feel the way we do about being women and separate the cultural myths that have been shoved down our throats for so long from the facts.

We do need to find a way to break the silence that surrounds women’s sexuality in this part of the world. We must find a way to reclaim or own our bodies, for so long viewed as the property of others.

Finally, on that Tuesday evening at the Carnivore, all the Vagina Monologues cast was defiantly saying, is what each African woman should proudly proclaim. That is if we hope to reduce the shocking statistics on all forms of violence against women. My womanhood is mine, and no one has the right to take it, cut it or use it without my consent.

Carol Mandi
Managing Editor of Truelove East Africa

V-Day’s Impact Around the World

This year, 1150 college and communities are confirmed to present V-Day 2006 benefit productions of “The Vagina Monologues.” Since 1998, V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and girls and V-Day organizers in communities and colleges around the world have raised over $30 million dollars to combat violence against women. V-Day 2006 will feature more than 713 college and 437 community productions – the most in V-Day’s history, with performances in over 54 countries, from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to Charlotte, North Carolina, from Manila, Philippines to Los Angeles, California.

Through its universality and mission, V-Day and “The Vagina Monologues” have empowered and enlightened women and men around the world. Few forms of entertainment or art about violence against women have had a truly wide appeal. Fewer still have effectively mobilized social outcomes or community organization. By combining art and activism V-Day enables groups to raise money and consciousness and it unifies and strengthens existing anti-violence efforts.

We want to share with you some personal stories from organizers of V-Day productions. These stories attest to the power of V-Day and the benefit performances of “The Vagina Monologues” as a fundraising, educational, empowering, and awareness-raising tool. Additionally, we have included local and international news stories highlighting the importance and vastness of V-Day as well as links for more information about V-Day and the various V-Day campaigns.

Personal Stories of Victory

“This production has sparked an interest in discussions about academic freedom on our campus & many others across the US. More importantly though, it touched the lives of many of the students here, and taught us all to really question our motives and to re-define ourselves as who we are as women and as artists. It was a great experience for everyone involved.”
V-Day Catholic University of America
Washington, District Of Columbia, USA

“This is the second time we have done the show in Quito. Last year, we had 15 actresses and a full crowd. This year we had 28 actresses and two full nights of an over-flowing crowd. We had housewives, students, teachers and friends from all over South and North America participating this year. It was so empowering, it brought tears to my eyes as we stood before a standing ovation.”
V-Day Quito

Quito, Pinchinca Province, Ecuador

“Being part of the monologues has changed my life and the lives of the other participants in the play. Thank you for giving us this opportunity. That day on stage, we realized we were part of something bigger than us. The faces of the directors of the women’s shelter and the teenage mother shelter and the Rape crisis center when I handed them checks of approx $6000 each made me realize what the power of theater can do to change the world.”
V-Day Madison

Madison, Wisconsin USA

“Many people’s eyes are opened to the experiences of other women. Living in the ‘Sportsman’s Paradise,’ Baton Rouge isn’t a place to really have awareness about women’s issues. In this post-Hurricane Katrina state, our small contribution allows the Baton Rouge Battered Women’s Program to continue though budget cuts and raise awareness that spousal abuse is still a problem.”
V-Day Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

“V-Day has had an enormous impact on the Notre Dame community. Because our school is Catholic, we have faced a great deal of controversy in putting on “The Vagina Monologues.” However, thanks to the controversy, we have been able to reach a much greater number of people with the V-Day message. Last year, our campus opened its first Gender Resource Center. This year, we are currently composing a proposal to add a specific rape crisis component to the GRC, and hopefully a pregnancy resources component as well. A number of campus groups have chosen to hold events (auctions, dinners, etc.) and give the proceeds to our past beneficiaries, SOS and YWCA.”
V-Day University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana, USA

“We really wanted to reach men this year. Well we did! A male student has started a chapter of “1 in 4” (a men’s group that is dedicated to educating men about rape) here at Millersville. “
V-Day Millersville University

Millersville, Pennsylvania, USA

““The Vagina Monologues” have been an amazing way of raising money for a very important group, the Women’s Rape Crisis Center. It also has opened people’s minds to the ongoing women’s problems that are often overlooked.”
V-Day Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas, USA

“People of all ages made reference to the fact that they learned something from this presentation. We also were able to obtain some additional funding for our local Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Task Force so that they can continue helping victims in need.”
V-Day Gainesville

Gainesville, Florida, USA

“I feel like we gave ‘feminism’ a credibility that our campus had never seen before. Everyone was very surprised by what we were doing at first, but most ended up being very supportive. After the performances were over each night, and I had SO MANY people come up to me and tell me that it was eye-opening, profound, emotional, etc. I feel like we really did make our case and people accepted for probably the first time on our campus.”
V-Day Drury College

Springfield, Missouri, USA

““The Vagina Monologues” has and continues to have a profound impact on the Mount Holyoke College community and the five college community in the Pioneer Valley. I think the biggest impact V-Day MHC has is on individual people coping with some of the issues the show brings up–whether that is being a survivor of sexual abuse or not being comfortable with her vagina. Each year we hear at least 10 students explain why “The Vagina Monologues” has changed their lives in some way.”
V-Day Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts, USA

“[This] was an incredibly rewarding experience. “The Vagina Monologues” created opportunities for many women in our community. The process of preparing for our show was a deeply emotional, empowering and spiritual experience. Thanks to V-Day, we now have a community of queer women of color who will continue performing and growing as individuals. Many members of the audience expressed the need for more spaces like this in our community. For us, this is only the beginning…”
V-Day Austin

Austin, Texas, USA

“Several people from both the campus and local community have expressed how empowered they felt after the performance. One in particular, hugged a member of the group saying “Thank you. I feel stronger now”. She had been molested, and was having trust issues and seeing the show helped her to move on, and feel stronger.”
V-Day Green Mountain College

Poultney, Vermont, USA

We have new people wanting to come to our church now and we have two women who want to join our social justice group. We are now considered the coolest church ever.
V-Day Middleton, Nova Scotia, Canada

Anglican Church in Nova Scotia

“Putting on “The Vagina Monologues” has opened my heart and mind in so many incredible ways. I felt most moved by the men who were brave enough to come and thank me personally for the experience. Many of them were in tears. Every year I am eternally grateful to be given this opportunity. There were many, many times in my life when I thought I would not make it through. “The Vagina Monologues” gives me a reason to do so.”
V-Day Calgary

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

“An incident occurred where the wife of one of the Men’s Writing Workshop participants was able to disclose a rape to her husband for the first time, get counseling, write about it, and speak publicly about her experience to other Native women in her town and in other villages. This experience demonstrated just how important our work was, and how V-Day provides a catalyst for communication and change.”
V-Day Bethel

Bethel, Alaska, USA

“I will never forget the first woman who walked up to me following my first production. The woman took both of my hands in hers and simply said “All I want to do is to thank you. Thank you for allowing these women’s voices and other nameless women’s voices around the world to be heard and celebrated.” Much to my surprise, this middle-aged woman then proceeded onward to inform me about her prolonged experience with domestic violence. Whenever Eve speaks about her experiences with the movement, she emphasizes the endless number of women who ask to speak to her subsequent to her performances to talk about their experiences with domestive violence and rape.

I have realized that the performances and accompanying events have provided men and women with a safe space…a personal space where they are able to speak about their experiences and allow their voices to be heard without fear of ostracism or doubt.
V-Day University of Leeds

Leeds, Yorkshire, England

“The week after [our production] one of the artist who performed with us went to the police to report her husband who did violence against her. She said that finally she realized that she must report her husband after involved in “The Vagina Monologues.””
V-Day Jakarta

Jakarta, Indonesia

Media Coverage:

Following is a selection of the hundreds of media articles covering V-Day 2006 benefits:

Hasfat’s new war

Allure
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/features/fashion/fas119022006.html

C’mon, guys, there’s nothing to be afraid of
The Salt Lake Tribune

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_3524167

Finding sisterhood in the telling of The Vagina Monologues
Tahoe-World

http://www.tahoe-world.com/article/20060222/News/102220011

Old Main packed for “Vagina Monologues”
The Campus Press, Colorado

http://www.thecampuspress.com/AE/2006/02/vagina.php

Vagina Monologues: So much more than feminist
The Times-Standard, California

http://www.times-standard.com/entertainment/ci_3515293

Unitarian church puts on ‘Vagina Monologues’
The Lyttleton Independent

http://www2.townonline.com/littleton/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=429193

Vagina Monologues coming to Taipei to combat domestic violence

The China Post
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/art/detail.asp?onNews=&GRP=H&id=76676

County woman confronts her feelings in The Vagina Monologues

Fort Saskatchewan Record, Canada
http://www.fortsaskatchewanrecord.com/story.php?id=209776

Violence against women unacceptable
The Auburn Plainsman

http://www.theplainsman.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/02/16/43f3b952ced9e

Reclaim your body with words
UNI Northern Iowan, Iowa

http://fp.uni.edu/northia/article2.asp?ID=4466&SECTION=2

About V-Day:

V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sexual slavery.

Through V-Day campaigns, local volunteers and college students produce annual benefit performances of The Vagina Monologues to raise awareness and funds for anti-violence groups within their own communities.

V-Day Brings ‘Comfort Women’ to the U.S. for Speaking Tour as Part of the 2006 Global V-Day Campaign for Justice

TOUR INCLUDES VISITS TO U.S. CONGRESS AND COLLEGES IN
NEW YORK, RHODE ISLAND, AND MASSACHUSETTS

February 14, 2006 – From February 17-22, V-Day is hosting two South Korean ‘comfort women’ survivors for a U.S. speaking tour to coincide V-Day’s 2006 benefit season and spotlight campaign. Kim Ok Sun and Yong Soo Lee, will visit Congress and colleges in New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, along with V-Day Special Representative Hibaaq Osman and the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery’s Kyang Joo Hye and Heisoo Shin.

The euphemism ‘comfort women’ was coined by imperial Japan to refer to young females of various ethnic and national backgrounds who were forced to offer sexual services to the Japanese troops during the Asia/Pacific Wars between 1932 and 1945.

The tour is the result of years of collaboration between V-Day and ‘comfort women’ activists in their struggle for justice. As part of the V-Day 2006 Spotlight: Global V-Day Campaign For Justice To ‘Comfort Women,’ the tour will provide the ‘comfort women’ with the opportunity to take action in the U.S., to generate direct support of their goal to sink Japan’s bid for a seat on the UN Security Council until a formal apology and reparations have been made, and to speak to college students, community audiences, and press.

The U.S. speaking tour will kick off with a Congressional Briefing on Capitol Hill, sponsored by Rep. Lane Evans (R-IL) to be attended by lawmakers and legislative aides. The tour will visit colleges in New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, magnifying local V-Day organizer’s focus on the Global Campaign’s actions with public speaking engagements recounting riveting personal accounts of Japan’s human rights abuses, and linking to local benefit performances of “The Vagina Monologues.”

Each year, V-Day spotlights a particular group of women who are experiencing violence with the goal of raising awareness and funds to put a worldwide media spotlight on this area and to raise funds to aide groups who are addressing it. This year, the issue of the comfort women will reach benefit performances in 1150 colleges and communities in 54 countries. Local organizers will highlight the issue in a variety of ways including the performance of a new monologue written by Playwright/V-Day Founder Eve Ensler based on ‘comfort women’ testimony and entitled “Say It,” documentary film screenings, educational materials, and the donation of 1-10% of their proceeds to the spotlight campaign. (A copy of the monologue follows below.)

TOUR SCHEDULE

WASHINGTON D.C – FRIDAY February 17
Congressional Briefing, 2pm
Location: Room 1116 Longworth HOB, Capitol Hill

NEW YORK – SATURDAY February 18
V-Day NYC event, 3:00PM
Tagine Restaurant
Documentary screening of “Until the Violence Stops” and Q&A with the survivors, and photo exhibition
Location: 537 Ninth Ave. (bet. 39th & 40th Sts.) New York, NY, 10018

NEW YORK – SUNDAY February 19
V-Day Marymount Manhattan College event, 3:00PM
Documentary screening of “Until the Violence Stops” followed by Q&A with the survivors, and photo exhibition
Location: Regina Peruggi Room, 221 East 71st Street (bt 2nd & 3rd), 2nd floor of the Main Building

RHODE ISLAND – TUESDAY February 21
V-Day Roger Williams University event, 7:00PM (Reception, 6:00PM)
Short film followed by panel with survivors and local experts from RI, Q&A, and photo exhibition
Location: University Lecture Hall, Bristol campus

MASSACHUSETTS – WEDNESDAY February 22
Westfield State College V-Day event, 4:00PM
Panel and discussion followed by reception
Location: Scanlon Banquet Hall

For interviews with Ms. Ok Sun Kim, and Ms. Yong Soo Lee, please contact Susan Celia Swan/Kate Fisher at (212) 253-1823. (Translation is required.)

# # #

The Global V-Day Campaign for Justice to ‘Comfort Women’
In 2002, local organizers of V-Day Philippines honored ‘comfort women’ survivors in their V-Day benefit performance of “The Vagina Monologues” for an audience of 8,500. After the show, Eve Ensler promised the Filipina survivors that V-Day would work with them until justice was served. Eve’s interview with them is featured in V-Day’s award-winning documentary film, “Until the Violence Stops.”

The Women’s International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan’s Military Sexual Slavery yielded additional links across East and Southeast Asia, and V-Day Special Representative Hibaaq Osman convened organizations from eight countries in Seoul in November 2004 to discuss how V-Day could support the ongoing advocacy for ‘comfort women’ survivors. Hosted by the Korean Council for the Women Drafted into Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, the international planning meeting culminated in the declaration of the Global V-Day Campaign for Justice to ‘Comfort Women.’

Since February 2005, the Global Campaign member organizations have held events at the UN Commission of the Status of Women, presented a petition with 550,000 signatures to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, sponsored a Global Day of Action with simultaneous protests in front of Japanese embassies around the world, and organized 60 days of survivor testimony in front of The Hague to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII.

Background on “Comfort Women’:
The euphemism ‘comfort women’ was coined by imperial Japan to refer to young females of various ethnic and national backgrounds who were forced to offer sexual services to the Japanese troops during the Asia/Pacific Wars between 1932 and 1945. Some were minors sold into ‘comfort stations’; others were deceptively recruited by middlemen; still more were detained and forcibly abducted. Estimates of the number of ‘comfort women’ range between 50,000 to 200,000.

In the early 1990s, Korean victims of Japan’s military sexual slavery broke their silence and came forward nearly a half century after WWII, followed by other survivors in China, Taiwan, North Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and Timor L’Este. Now the aging survivors are dying off one by one without redress from the Japanese government, which still denies legal responsibility. In South Korea, the elderly ‘comfort women’ survivors have held demonstrations in front of the Japanese embassy every Wednesday for 13 years, calling for justice and reparations for the unanswered war crimes.

Biographies:
Ms. Ok Sun Kim (born in 1923 in Andong, a southeastern city of South Korea)
At the age of 15, Ms. Ok Sun Kim was forcibly drafted by the Japanese police. She was transported through Busan to Taiwan, where she was kept for 8 years in sexual slavery for the Japanese soldiers until the end of WWII. In 1946, she was able to return to Busan and made a living by doing various kinds of menial work. Due to the side effects of her atrocities as a ‘comfort woman’, she had her uterus removed. She is living alone in Yecheon, North Gyungsang Province.

Ms. Yong Soo Lee (born on 13 December 1928, in Taegu, Korea)
When Yong Soo Lee was 8 she went to Talsong Elementary School in Taegu, but had to give up within a year. But she didn’t give up learning. When she was 12 she went to evening classes, where she used a Japanese name, Yasuhara Riyosyu. At the age of 15, Yong Soo Lee was forcibly drafted by the Japanese soldiers. It was autumn 1943. She was transported through Kyung Joo to Taiwan, where she was kept for 2 years in sexual slavery for the Japanese soldiers until the end of WWII. When she was 17, the war was over. At the age of 18, she was able to return to her home, it was 1946. She lives alone in Taegu.

Ms. Joo Hye Kyang (staff, Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan)
Ms. Joo Hye Kyang has been working for three years at the Korean Council. Her main responsibilities are to take care of the more than 100 survivors of the Japanese military sexual slavery who are living scattered all across South Korea. Joo Hye is also in charge of training the volunteers and networking with other organizations. If needed, Joo Hye can speak about the activities of the Korean Council and the present situation of the issue, but she will need translation.

Dr. Heisoo Shin (Representative, Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan)
Dr. Heisoo Shin has been working for the Korean Council for 14 years since 1992. As an activist cum scholar, she has been working for women’s human rights for the last 30 years nationally, regionally and internationally. She is also a commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, as well as an expert of the UN CEDAW(Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women).

Ms. Hibaaq Osman (V-Day Special Representative and Karama Chair)
As Special Representative, Hibaaq Osman has directed V-Day’s work in Africa, Middle East, and Asia since 2002, leading delegations to Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, And India to form collaborations with local women activists. Hibaaq launched V-Day Karama, an innovative approach that works in-depth to connect local women across the Middle East and North Africa through building national and regional networks to ending violence against women in July 2005. A senior fellow at the Academy for Political Leadership and Participation at the University of Maryland, Hibaaq remains a frequent author, advisor, and keynote speaker in the field of international women’s rights, peace and conflict resolution, politics and human rights in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

About V-Day: V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Playwright/Founder Eve Ensler’s award-winning play “The Vagina Monologues.” In 2006, more than 1150 collegs and communities will produce 2700 V-Day events in the U.S. and around the world. To date, V-Day has raised over $30 million and educated millions about the issue of violence against women and the efforts to end it, crafted international educational, media and PSA campaigns, reopened shelters, and funded over 5000 community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses in Kenya, South Dakota, Egypt and Iraq. The ‘V’ in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina. http://www.vday.org

Say It
By Eve Ensler
Each year in conjunction with the V-Day Spotlight, Eve pens a new monologue. This is her monologue based on the testimonies of the ‘Comfort Women.’

Our stories only exist inside our heads
Inside our ravaged bodies
Inside a time and space of war
And emptiness
There is no paper trail
Nothing official on the books
Only conscience
Only this.

What we were promised:
That I would save my father if I went with them
That I would find a job
That it was better there
That I would serve the country

What we found:
No mountains
No trees
No water
Yellow sand
A desert
A warehouse full of tears
Thousands of worried girls
My braid cut against my will
No time to wear panties

What we were forced to do:
Change our names
Wear one piece dresses with
A button that opened easily
50 Japanese soldiers a day
Sometimes there would be a ship of them
Strange barbaric things
Do it even when we bleed
There were so many
Some wouldn’t take off their clothes
Just took out their penis
So many men I couldn’t walk
I couldn’t stretch my legs
I couldn’t bend
I couldn’t .

What they did to us over and over:
Cursed
Spanked
Tore bloody inside out
Sterilized
Drugged
Slapped
Punched
Raped.

What we saw:
A girl drinking chemicals in the bathroom
A girl killed by a bomb
A girl beaten with a rifle over and over
A girl’s malnourished body dumped in the river
To drown.

What we weren’t allowed to do:
Wash ourselves
Go to the doctor
Use a condom
Run away
Keep my baby
Ask him to stop.

What we caught:
Malaria
Syphilis
Gonorrhea
Stillbirths
Tuberculosis
Heart disease
Nervous breakdowns
Hypochondria

What we were fed:
Rice
Miso soup
Turnip pickle
Rice
Miso Soup
Turnip Pickle
Rice Rice Rice

What we became:
Ruined
Tools
Infertile
Holes
Bloody
Meat
Exiled
Silenced
Alone

What we were left with:
Nothing
A shocked father who never recovered
And died.
No wages
Hatred of Men
No children
No house
A space where a uterus once was
Booze
Smoking
Guilt
Shame

What we got called:
Ianfu-Comfort Women
Shugyofu-Women Of Indecent Occupation

What we felt:
My chest still trembles

What got taken:
The springtime
My life

What we are:
68
79
84
93
Blind
Slow
Ready
Outside the Japanese Embassy every Tuesday
No longer afraid

What we want:
Now soon
Before we’re gone
And our stories leave this world,
Leave our heads

Japanese government
Say it
Please.
We are sorry, Comfort Women
Say it to me
We are sorry to me
We are sorry to me
To me
To me
To me
Say it.
Say sorry
Say we are sorry
Say Me
See Me
Say it
Sorry.

Kathy Griffin Auction on ebay to Benefit V-Day: Bid for a Slumber Party Weekend with Kathy in LA

Comedian & actress Kathy Griffin is auctioning off a weekend with her in Hollywood, February 25-26, 2006. 100% of the proceeds will benefit V-Day.

The weekend will include domestic round-trip transportation (coach fare) & accommodations for one person in Los Angeles. The winner will spend time with Kathy and her friends, attending parties, dinners and a night out on the town.

Kathy announced the auction last night on the Jimmy Kimmel show. The bids are coming in fast, put yours in now!

To bid on this is once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and more information, visit:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Weekend-with-Kathy-Griffin-in-Los-Angeles_W0QQitemZ6604532379QQcategoryZ16071QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

V-Day Movement to End Violence Against Women and Girls Continues to Expand in 2006

Over 1150 Colleges and Communities Stage V-Day Benefits of “The Vagina Monologues”

In Locales from Dar Es Salaam to Charlotte, from Manila to Los Angeles, Over 2500 Events Taking Place this V-Day Season

2006 Corporate Sponsors Announced

2006 Theme “Vagina Warriors: The New Revolution” Celebrates New Activists and Places Global Spotlight to Bring Justice to ‘Comfort Women’

V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and girls, today announced that local activists in over 1150 college and communities are confirmed to present V-Day 2006 benefit productions of “The Vagina Monologues.” Each community typically stages two-three nights in a row, due to popular demand, totaling well over 2500 fundraisers in all. With the majority of events taking place on or around Valentine’s Day, V-Day 2006 will feature more than 713 college and 437 community productions – the most in V-Day’s history, with performances in over 54 countries, from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to Charlotte, North Carolina, from Manila, Philippines to Los Angeles, California.

As the V-Season (February 1-March 8) begins, V-Day is proud to announce their new and continuing partnerships with a wide variety of corporate sponsors for 2006. These individuals and corporations provide significant creative and financial support for the ongoing effort to end violence against women and girls. V-Day’s 2006 corporate sponsors include Barneys New York, Dramatists Play Service, Eileen Fisher, GK Designs for Jewelserv, Luna Bar, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Unique Swiss Skin Care, Vosges Haut Chocolat, and Zhena’s Gypsy Tea. V-Day is excited to be extending the V-Day community to include such committed partners.

“Vagina Warriors: The New Revolution” is the theme for the movement’s 2006 campaigns and grassroots events. “Vagina Warriors: The New Revolution” celebrates new activists and leaders who are working to end violence against women in their communities. ‘Vagina Warriors’ are women and men who have often experienced violence personally or witnessed it within their communities and dedicated themselves toward ending such violence through effective, grassroots means.

The range and breadth of V-Day 2006 events this year is vast. V-Day locations include three new countries in Southern Africa: Mozambique, Namibia and Botswana. Communities and colleges in all Scandinavian countries including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, in countries in Europe and Eastern Europe including Spain, Belgium, Germany, France, Greece, Czech Republic, Kyrgyzstan and Bosnia and Herzegovina will participate. The Latin American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Mexico will be staging benefits this year. Events will also take place in all 50 of the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam, and over 50 events will take place in the United Kingdom alone.

Stories and successes are already beginning to stream in. In Iceland, female members of the Parliament will be performing a V-Day benefit of ‘The Vagina Monologues” on March 1 in Reykjavik and have invited the male Parliamentarians to attend. In Nairobi, Njoki Ndungu, a member of the Kenyan Parliament and long time V-Day activist, has drafted the first-ever sexual offence bill that will be brought for debate in March. In Toronto, local V-Day activists will be joined on stage by film star Rachel McAdams. In Philadelphia, the organizer at the University of Pennsylvania invited men to an all male discussion about violence against women at a fraternity house. A great success, the evening resulted in the formation of a male group who will work towards preventing violence against women and incorporating men into both the process and the solution.

2006 Spotlight: Justice to ‘Comfort Women’

Each year V-Day spotlights a particular group of women who are experiencing violence with the goal of raising awareness and funds to put a worldwide media spotlight on this area and to raise funds to aide groups who are addressing it.

At each 2006 event, organizers will place a global spotlight on the ‘Comfort Women’ to raise funds and awareness and to demand an apology from the Japanese Government. The ‘Comfort Women’ were young women of various ethnic and national backgrounds who were forced into sexual slavery during World War II between 1932 and 1945. On the 60th Anniversary of the end of World War II, V-Day joins women and men around the world in calling for justice to ‘Comfort Women’ survivors. Coinciding with the spotlight, over 21 V-Day events will take place in Asia including China, Fiji, Japan, Saipan, Taiwan, Singapore, and 14 events in the Philippines.

V-Day is working with groups on the ground in Asia to plan a major V-Day event during Summer 2006 to bring maximum attention to this issue. V-Day is also working to raise awareness of human trafficking as we recognize the relationship between the story of the ‘Comfort Women’ and modern day human trafficking.

Opening Night of “The Good Body” In LA is V-Day’s Annual Fundraiser

V-Day Founder Eve Ensler is currently on the North American tour of her newest play “The Good Body.” The tour will reach 20 US cities from October 2005 until its culmination in April of 2006. A portion of proceeds from the tour will be benefit V-Day.

On February 1 at the Wadsworth Theater in Los Angeles, V-Day held its annual fundraiser thanks to Eve and the producers of the play. The evening’s performance was a benefit for V-Day, followed by a reception with star supporters. Lead sponsors were Carole Black, The Los Angles Times, and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams and attendees included Anne Archer, Sally Field, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Cheryl and Ron Howard, Dylan McDermott, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Victor Rivers, Shiva Rose, Marisa Tomei, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley among others.

The V-Day L.A. 2006 Committee included Jane Fonda and Paula Weinstein, Honorary Chairs, Gail Berman, Carole Black, Ilene Chaiken, Robert Dowling, Sally Field, Kristin Hahn, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Christine Lahti, Lauren Lloyd, Dylan McDermott, Pat Mitchell, Kathy Najimy, Dawn Ostroff, Marc Platt, Emily Scott Pottruck, Shiva Rose, Cari Ross, Paula Wagner, Kerry Washington, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Rita Wilson. The night marked the opening of Eve’s Los Angeles run as well as her Los Angeles stage debut.

Karama Program In Africa, Asia & The Middle East

The Karama Program, which launched in Cairo in July 2005 under the leadership of V-Day Special Representative Hibaaq Osman, will continue to expand with offices set to open in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia over the next three years. To strengthen and link community-based strategies in each country, the Karama Program will organize training workshops, convene national and regional meetings, promote art and culture events, provide funding for program implementation and give communications support to the emerging networks ending gender based violence.

V-Day On TV

Eve Ensler will be interviewed by a V-Day student activist, Kendra Jackson of Georgetown University, on mtvU “15 Minutes with…” airing from Thursday, February 9 to Tuesday, February 14 (repeating throughout the day). Beginning Friday, February 10, an interview with Eve will appear on PBS “To The Contrary.” On Saturday, February 11 at 9pm, the documentary “Beautiful Daughters” will premiere on Logo. Directed and produced by Josh Aronson and Ariel Orr Jordan, the original documentary looks at the lives of four transgender women intertwined with the casting, rehearsal and opening of the first transgender V-Day production of “The Vagina Monologues”. And, on February 19, Eve has a guest appearance on the popular Showtime television series “The L Word”. Unlike recent celebrity cameos, Eve will be playing a character. Tune in, check you local listings for airtimes.

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About V-Day: V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Playwright/Founder Eve Ensler’s award-winning play “The Vagina Monologues.” In 2005, 1100 colleges and communities produced V-Day events in the U.S. and 41 countries around the world. To date, V-Day has raised over $30 million and educated millions about the issue of violence against women and the efforts to end it, crafted international educational, media and PSA campaigns, reopened shelters, and funded over 5000 community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses in Kenya, South Dakota, Egypt and Iraq. The ‘V’ in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina.

To schedule interviews with Eve Ensler or a V-Day spokesperson, please contact Susan Celia Swan,
(212) 253-1823, press at vday.

V-Day Update on Providence College Banning of “The Vagina Monologues”

Since 2003, several V-Day benefit productions of “The Vagina Monologues” staged by Catholic college students have met resistance from a fringe group, the Cardinal Newman Society, that have made it their mission to harass Catholic college presidents and student organizers.

V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls. V-Day hopes that the true and often devastating stories that are the foundation of “The Vagina Monologues” will inspire people who see productions of the play to join V-Day in its efforts to stop all violence against women and girls.

Background on V-Day and the College Campaign:
Through the V-Day College Campaign, which launched in 1999, thousands of student organizers have raised funds for local groups on their campuses and within their communities. This year, students at over 700 colleges and universities will stage V-Day benefits of the play to raise funds and awareness of the violence that affects one in three women in the US and the world. The events take place on-campus and are primarily student-run, student-acted and student-directed. With the addition of the 428 community events that will also take place in 2006, a total over 1100 V-Day benefits are scheduled in the US and throughout the world.

Out of these 1100 events, less than 10 Catholic events are currently meeting with resistance to their efforts. Successful events have taken place in all fifty United States as well as in over 80 countries including Ireland, Kenya, Japan, India, China, Congo, Tanzania, and Poland, among others. These events enjoy widespread community support from civic and academic leaders, media, and the community at large. Most events sell out, with tickets in high demand. The beneficiaries of the events come to rely on the funds raised and gain much needed attention to their work, often leading to additional sources of funding.

To date, V-Day has raised over $30 million dollars for these local anti-violence programs, shelters and rape crisis centers. Along the way, millions of people have been empowered and educated and have become active in the fight to end violence against women and girls.

Our response to Providence College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley’s Banning of “The Vagina Monologues”:

Providence College President Reverend Shanley’s claim that “The Vagina Monologues” “reduces women to their vaginas” could not be further from the truth. In openly speaking about the issues that one in three women face, the play has empowered women worldwide. Translated into over 45 languages, the play has been embraced by women for its ability to present women’s issues and the issue of violence against women in an artistic way. Reverend Shanley’s claim that the play neglects the vagina’s “unitive and procreative dimensions diminishes its complexity, its mystery, and its dignity” makes us wonder if he has actually seen the play. In its retelling of real women’s stories, the play’s message is about women and love, honoring their bodies, and ultimately finding their personal dignity. The last monologue is actually about birth, reflecting on it with amazement and deep appreciation.

While we respect his right to his views and beliefs, Reverend Shanley’s desire that we bring back the ‘complexity and mystery’ around the vagina is dangerous if it leads to continued silence about these issues. In a world where one in three women will be beaten or raped in their lifetime, complexity and mystery are not what we need. What we do need is women understanding their sexuality and being free to speak about it. We need the dialogue and education that works such as “The Vagina Monologues” inspire, and the critical fundraising that the V-Day movement and its dedicated activists provide to shelters and anti-violence programs.

Reverend Shanley’s claim that the book jacket’s marketing text calling the play a “new bible (for a new generation of feminists) is an indication that its depiction of female sexuality is meant to displace the traditional Biblical view that inspires the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church” is also off base. Clearly, the word is being used as a metaphor to illustrate the universal support for the text, its role as a catalyst to motivate thousands annually toward philanthropic acts, and the movement to end violence against women it inspired.

His specific reference to the “Coochisnorcher’ monologue brings us to the crux of the issue. “The Vagina Monologues” is a play based on playwright Eve Ensler’s interviews with over 200 real women. The monologues cover a range of female experiences with sexuality and sexual violence. They are at times shocking, heartbreaking, and even humorous. They are not politically correct; they are real. In places, they are offensive. Violence against women and girls should be offensive.

The telling of these stories is cathartic and allows women who hear them to know that they are not alone in their experience, helping them to heal. The play’s power is in its ability to reach people emotionally and inspire action. V-Day is about harnessing that emotion and inspiration for action towards ending violence against women.

When faced with reactions like Reverend Shanley’s, we need to remember the origins of the monologues. Our role at V-Day is not to judge but to bring these stories center stage, to end the violence that affects one in three women. We are deeply dismayed by a small minority of religious voices that ignore the real world suffering of women and that cannot reconcile their teachings with reality.

While we are always disappointed by attempts to shut down college students who are trying to raise awareness and funds to end violence against women, we look forward to the over eleven hundred V-Day events that will take place, and applaud Erica Rioux and her fellow student organizers at Providence College.

Reverend Shanley’s action may stop the production on the Providence College campus, but we hope the women will find a way to perform their V-Day benefit in the community. It would be sad to witness funds that could have been raised to prevent and heal rape and violence be curtailed by a spiritual institution.

We encourage the community of Providence to embrace them and their efforts.

V-Day

1115 Colleges and Communities to Stage V-Day 2006 Benefits in Over 54 Countries

Over 1090 colleges and communities are confirmed to present V-Day 2006 benefit productions of “The Vagina Monologues” to date.

The range and breadth this year is vast. From February – March, local activists in over 54 countries, on 687 college campuses, and in over 428 communities will produce a V-Day benefit. Each community typically stages two-three nights in a row, due to popular demand, totaling over 2500 fundraisers in all.

Some highlights: 2006 locations include three new countries in Southern Africa: Mozambique, Namibia and Botswana. Communities and colleges in all Scandinavian countries including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, in countries in Europe and Eastern Europe including Spain, Belgium, Germany, France, Greece, Czech Republic, Kyrgyzstan and Bosnia and Herzegovina will participate. The Latin American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Mexico will be staging benefits this year. Events will also take place in all 50 of the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam, and over 50 events will take place in the United Kingdom alone.

These worldwide events will recognize new Vagina Warriors and inspire even more to join the movement. Through the theme “Vagina Warriors: The New Revolution,” V-Day events will bring to light faces new and old with one thing in common – their tireless and creative commitment to ending violence against women.

At each event, organizers will place a global spotlight on the ‘Comfort Women’ to raise funds and awareness and to demand an apology from the Japanese Government. The ‘Comfort Women’ were young women of various ethnic and national backgrounds who were forced into sexual slavery during World War II between 1932 and 1945. Coinciding with the spotlight, over 21 V-Day events will take place in Asia including China, Fiji, Japan, Saipan, Taiwan, Singapore, and 14 events in the Philippines.

Code Pink Launches Women Say No To War Campaign, Sign the Petition

http://www.womensaynotowar.org/article.php?id=656

WOMEN SAY NO TO WAR

www.womensaynotowar.org

Women are mobilizing women around the globe to call for an end to the occupation and the violence in Iraq. With the majority of people in Iraq, the U.S., the U.K., and around the world opposing this war, now is the time for women to step forward and make our opposition more visible and vocal.

With the launch of Women Say No To War Campaign, we are asking women around the world to sign on to the Women’s Call for Peace. We hope to obtain a minimum of 100,000 signatures by International Women’s Day on March 8, 2006, when US and Iraqi women will deliver these signatures to leaders in Washington DC and women around the world will deliver them to US embassies.

Women’s Call for Peace: An Urgent Appeal

We, the women of the United States, Iraq and women worldwide, have had enough of the senseless war in Iraq and the cruel attacks on civilians around the world. We’ve buried too many of our loved ones. We’ve seen too many lives crippled forever by physical and mental wounds. We’ve watched in horror as our precious resources are poured into war while our families’ basic needs of food, shelter, education and healthcare go unmet. We’ve had enough of living in constant fear of violence and seeing the growing cancer of hatred and intolerance seep into our homes and communities.

This is not the world we want for ourselves or our children. With fire in our bellies and love in our hearts, we women are rising up – across borders – to unite and demand an end to the bloodshed and the destruction.

We have seen how the foreign occupation of Iraq has fueled an armed movement against it, perpetuating an endless cycle of violence. We are convinced that it is time to shift from a military model to a conflict-resolution model that includes the following elements:

V-Day Featured in ABC Carpet & Home’s “Gifts of Compassion”

Help fund shelter for abused Egyptian women and their families
Or

Give 1 year of shelter and education for a young girl trying to escape FGM in Africa

ABC Home & Planet Foundation is encouraging consumers to actively build a better world by aligning their spending choices with their values this holiday season through “Gifts of Compassion.” Through ABC’s new offering, holiday shoppers will have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of children and families — both in America and around the world. Gift givers receive an embroidered silk pouch, fashioned from a vintage sari, containing a “Gift of Compassion” certificate that fully describes the gift, indicating that a special gift has been made on behalf of the recipient.

Two unique Gifts of Compassion benefit V-Day programs at the V-Day Safe House in Narok, Kenya and in Cairo, Egypt:

1. Shelter for an abused Egyptian Woman: Provide food, shelter and counseling services to an abused Egyptian woman and family at Bayat Hawa, the Arab world’s first comprehensive domestic violence shelter — $100.

2. Protection from Female Genital Mutilation: This gift provides shelter, food, training and school for one 12-year-old Maasai girl who refuses to submit to the ritual of female genital mutilation (FGM). The gift allows the girl to stay for one year at the V-Day Safe House for the Girls in Narok, Kenya — $1,000

In addition, ABC Home & Planet Foundation’s MISSIONmarket also accepts charitable contributions of any amount $40 or greater to V-Day, which can be given and presented as a gift to a loved one.

“Gifts of Compassion” provides an opportunity to express affection, appreciation and love for each other in a unique and beautiful way that harms no one, consumes virtually no resources, does not pollute, and makes a lasting contribution in the life of a family or community in need. In honor of a loved one, you can literally change the life of someone earning less than $1 a day.

To give a Gift of Compassion, visit http://www.abchomeandplanet.org/GiftsofCompassion.aspx

Los Angeles Opening Night of Eve Ensler’s One Woman Show “The Good Body” to Benefit V-Day on February 1

Post Reception Hosted by Star-Studded Committee Including Jane Fonda, Kerry Washington, Rita Wilson, Kathy Najimy, Sally Field, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Dylan McDermott, Christine Lahti, Shiva Rose, and More

Two Post-Performance Discussions Also Schedule with Activist Cindy Sheehan and Author Suzanne Levine During Limited Wadsworth Theatre Engagement Jan 31-Feb 12

The February 1 opening night of Eve Ensler’s “The Good Body” at the Wadsworth Theater in Los Angeles will be a benefit for V-Day. The performance will be followed by a star-studded reception. The night will mark the opening of Eve’s Los Angeles run as well as her Los Angeles stage debut; Ensler is the Founder of V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and girls.

The V-Day L.A. 2006 Committee includes Jane Fonda and Paula Weinstein, Honorary Chairs, Gail Berman, Carole Black, Ilene Chaiken, Robert Dowling, Sally Field, Kristin Hahn, LisaGay Hamilton, Christine Lahti, Lauren Lloyd, Dylan McDermott, Pat Mitchell, Kathy Najimy, Dawn Ostroff, Marc Platt, Emily Scott Pottruck, Shiva Rose, Cari Ross, Paula Wagner, Kerry Washington, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Rita Wilson (list in formation). A portion of the event proceeds will benefit the Lily Tomlin Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center and The HerShe Group.

Two post performance discussions with activist Cindy Sheehan (on February 2) and author Suzanne Levine, founding editor of Ms. Magazine (date to be announced) have been scheduled during the strictly limited Wadsworth Theatre engagement of “The Good Body,” which begins with a preview on January 31 and continues to February 12. Sheehan and Levine participate to follow the theme of “The Good Body” to “Stop fixing your body, start fixing the world.”

Eve Ensler’s “The Good Body” Los Angeles engagement events – 2

Cindy Sheehan reinvigorated the anti-war movement when she set up vigil for her fallen son outside of Bush’s Texas ranch. She will speak with Eve and the audience directly about the theme of “The Good Body” — changing the world, not our bodies. On date TBA (pending schedule confirmation), Suzanne Levine, writer, founding editor of Ms. magazine, and nationally recognized authority on women, media matters, and family issues will be conducting a talkback on exploring the new frontier of Second Adulthood for a generation of women who are redefining their lives—again.

Tickets and sponsor tables for opening night are from $150-$25,000. For ticket information, call 310-491-1401 Tickets for all other performances of Eve Ensler’s “The Good Body,” including the two post-performance discussion dates, are available at the Wadsworth Theatre Box Office, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Building 226, www.BrentwoodTheatre.com and through Ticketmaster – online at ticketmaster.com, by phone at Ticketmaster at 213-365-3500, and all Ticketmaster outlets. For RICHMARK Memberships and tickets, and groups of 15+ call Wadsworth/Brentwood Theatre Box Office at 310-479-3636.

Playwright/Performer Eve’s first triumph, “The Vagina Monologues,” ignited the V-Day movement that has become a global phenomenon. Now she’s back, with a show both uproarious and insightful. In “The Good Body,’ Eve takes an inside look at the outside, exploring the cultures of beauty, food and desire through the eyes of women around the world. After a critically acclaimed run on Broadway, she’s bringing this provocative, hilarious and profoundly moving performance to twenty U.S. cities, as part of her North American tour, from October 2005 until its culmination in April of 2006. A portion of proceeds from the tour will benefit V-Day.

With “The Good Body,” Eve turns her unique eye to the rest of the female form. Whether undergoing botox injections or living beneath burkhas, women of all cultures and backgrounds feel compelled to change the way they look in order to fit in. “The Good Body” merges cross-cultural explorations with Eve’s own personal journey coming to terms with her ‘less-than-flat, post-40’s stomach.’ For more information, visit http://www.thegoodbody.com