Archive for the "Press Releases" Category
As of November 7, 2002, vibrators and other similar items can now be legally bought and sold in the state of Alabama. The first victory came in March of 1999, when a Federal Court overturned Alabama’s ban on sex toys, saying that the state had no compelling interest in prohibiting them.
This was followed by a setback in October of 2000, when a Federal Appeals Court ruled that there were possible moral grounds for a prohibition, and sent the case back to the lower court for reconsideration on other grounds.
Then, on October 11, 2002, the Federal court ruled that the Alabama statute violates a well-established right to privacy.
This victory has resonance as Alabama is one of the states referenced in V-Day Founder/Artistic Director Eve Ensler’s play “The Vagina Monologues” where handguns are legally sold, but vibrators, and the like, were illegal until now.
February 2003 V-Day event in the works, to be held in front of British Parliament.
Four female labour party politicians performed “The Vagina Monologues” with V-Day Founder/Playwright Eve Ensler on September 29th bringing the issues of violence against women to the center of UK policymaking
Native activist Suzanne Blue Star Boy appointed director of the V-Day Indian Country Project.
Kitchen Cabinet – formed by Blue Star Boy – will consist of prominent Native activists including Tantoo Cardinal, Tillie Black Bear, Peggy Bird, Sarah Deer, and Eileen Hudon.
October 10, 2002, V-Day, the global movement to stop violence against women and girls, formally announced today the launch of its Indian Country Project and the appointment of Native American activist Suzanne Blue Star Boy as Director of the Project. V-Day has developed the Indian Country Project to prioritize raising consciousness, awareness and money around the issues facing Native American women in the United States and First Nations women in Canada at a time when violence against women and girls in Indian Country is at epidemic proportions. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the rate of incidence (of rape or sexual assault) is 3.5 times higher than any other race in the United States. The rate* continues to rise while Indian women and girls remain invisible as an at risk population.
The project will also build coalitions to strengthen tribal commitments to end violence, beginning with the work of the newly formed ‘Kitchen Cabinet, ” and V-Day will bring the issues facing native women in front of the world February – March 2003 via the hundreds of V-Day 2003 benefit events that are being staged worldwide.
On the announcement, V-Day Founder/Artistic Director Eve Ensler stated,”V-Day Rapid City 2002 was a devastating and inspirational experience in that we witnessed first hand the disturbing amount of violence in Indian country and the fierce determination and courage of the Native and First Nations women. 3.5 times as many women are violated on Indian reservations than anywhere else in North America. It is an outrage and a shame to see this kind of violence, poverty and isolation and it is all of our responsibility to heal this terrible wound. V-Day has decided to spotlight Native women this year and we are proud to announce that Suzanne Blue Star Boy has joined us to lead the Indian Country Project.”
As Director of the V-Day Indian Country Project, the Washington, DC-based Ms. Blue Star Boy will travel across Indian Country to educate Native American and First Nations women about V-Day as a means to fundraise for local anti-violence groups and programs. On her appointment, she commented, “V-Day offers Indian Country a unique opportunity to raise awareness of the rampant problem of violence against Native women and girls and to spark sustainable, community-sponsored events. V-Day’s successes offer a model with strong promise for Native American and First Nations women.”
In addition, V-Day itself will educate about the specific issues of violence against Native American and First Nations women as part of its upcoming, worldwide V-Day 2003 campaigns and V-Day benefits (scheduled to take place February – March 2003). A central component of this education will be the expansion of the “Afghanistan Is Everywhere” program, which when launched in 2002, focused on Afghan women with the broader intention to unite women worldwide by pointing out the similarities between the experiences of the women of Afghanistan and those of women and girls in other areas of the world. In 2002, the world witnessed the violent oppression in which Afghan Women lived. V-Day sponsored the Spotlight on Afghan Women to raise funds for Afghan Women working for change within their country. At the same time, V-Day declared, Afghanistan is Everywhere. In 2003, V-Day will launch ‘Afghanistan Is Everywhere: A Spotlight On Native American and First Nations Women.’ This program will bring the issues facing native women to local V-Day events around the world, asking all people to stand with Native American women in their struggle to be free of violence. The program will also encourage event organizers to contribute 10% of their benefit proceeds to support work ending violence in Native American, Native Alaskan, and First Nations communities.
Immediately upon assuming her new role, Ms. Blue Star Boy implemented a ‘Kitchen Cabinet’, a non-traditional advisory board for the ‘V-Day Indian Country Project’ comprised of Tantoo Cardinal (the Native American actress who has appeared in critically acclaimed films including “Dances With Wolves” and “Smoke Signals,” among many others), Tillie Black Bear (a founding member of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Black Bear also helped form the South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Award); Peggy Bird (currently a private consultant working with Clan Star, Inc., the technical assistance provider for the tribal coalitions, and former Director of DNA’s Native American Family Violence Prevention Project); Sarah Deer (Staff Attorney for the Tribal Law & Policy Institute in West Hollywood, California, also worked for DOJ for several years as the Director of the STOP GRANTS and VAWA money with the tribes); Eileen Hudon (currently working in Minnesota on domestic violence and sexual assault issues, Hudon was formerly the director of Songidee Biimadaziwin, a sexual assault program at the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center in Minneapolis).
About V-Day
V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a palpable energy, a fierce 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 worldwide violence against women and girls including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), and sexual slavery. V-Day provides funding to create and nurture innovative programs to stop the violence.
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 itself stages large-scale benefits and promotes innovative gatherings and programs (The Afghan Women’s Summit, The Stop Rape Contest, Indian Country Project, and more) to change social attitudes towards violence against women. In 2002, more than 800 V-Day benefit events were presented by local volunteer activists around the world, educating millions of people about the reality of violence against women and girls.
The V-Day movement is growing at a rapid pace throughout the world. V-Day, a non-profit corporation, distributes funds to grassroots, national, and international organizations and programs that work to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day was named one of Worth Magazine’s “100 Best Charities” in 2001. In its first five years, the V-Day movement has raised over $14 million, with over $7 million raised in 2002 alone.
The ‘V’ in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina.
# # # #
* According to the “American Indians and Crime” report (US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, February 1999) for the period 1992-1996:
American Indians were the victims of rape or sexual assault at 3.5 times the rate of United States residents of other races.
About 90% of the American Indian victims of rape or sexual assault reported an offender of a different race.
Nearly a third of all American Indian victims of violence were between the ages of 18 and 24.
Some Native Americans, service providers and national researchers believe that, even though statistics reflect an alarming rate of sexual violence in Indian Country, the rate of sexual assault in particular is underrepresented, most likely due to being underreported. The history of cultural and personal oppression of Native American and First Nations women, their fear of familial reprisal and shame, and the overlapping and confusing federal, state and tribal legal jurisdictions that can hinder investigations and prosecutions, discourage Native American women victims of violence from pursuing support and justice and leaves them feeling helpless and fearful.
We are happy to announce that we are now accepting applications to organize
events for V-Day 2003. You can bring V-Day to your community, your college, or your university!
Click here to sign up to organize a V-Day event.
Every year V-Day events take place at hundreds of locations around the
world. They take place in churches, town halls, theaters and arenas. These
events are organized by local college students and local volunteers —
people just like you.
You can make a difference for your community by organizing a V-Day event.
Last year local Worldwide and College Campaign organizers raised over
$3,000,000. We have even bigger goals this year, and you can help us
reach them!
Organizing a V-Day event can be a life changing experience. As one 2002
college organizer put it,
We had our performance last Saturday, and it was AMAZING. People are
still talking! I wish we had done more, but we had no idea what a great
response we would get! This experience was been one of the most wonderful
ones of my life. To see my community respond whole-heartedly to this
cause is incredible!
V-Day events feature a benefit performance of “The Vagina Monologues.” The
money raised stays in your local community, supporting organizations that
stop violence against women and girls. “The Vagina Monologues” playwright,
V-Day Founder Eve Ensler, waives fees to V-Day benefit presenters of the
play.
Bring V-Day to your community. Sign up today.
Summit to Take Place in Rome, Friday-Saturday September 20-21
Will Strategize Ending Violence Against Women Facilitated by Founder/Playwright Eve Ensler
Academy Award Winning Actress and Activist Jane Fonda and Lifetime President & CEO Carole Black to Attend
September 6, 2002
V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and girls, will hold its first V-World Summit in Rome, Friday-Saturday, September 20-21, it was announced today. At the Summit, more than 25 international V-Day activists, women who have brought a V-Day event, or the V-Day movement, into their cities, communities, countries and cultures, will convene and construct the vision necessary to end violence against women and girls.
NOTE: A press conference is scheduled for the opening of the V-World Summit on Friday, September 20 at 11:30AM. Location TBA. At the press conference, V-Day Founder/Artistic Director Playwright Eve Ensler, V-Counsel member Jane Fonda and the attending activists will unveil V-Day’s 2003 vision statement which asks women and men around the world to envision a world without violence and let V-Day become V-World.
V-Day activists from countries including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Democratic Republic Of Congo, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Italy, Kenya, Macedonia, Mexico, Philippines, South Africa, United Kingdom, and the United States will strategize through facilitation by V-Day Founder/Playwright Eve Ensler, to make a V-World, a world in which women and girls truly do live without violence. As part of the summit agenda, the activists will discuss their successes to date within their communities, how they can make V-World a part of their 2003 activities, and, more broadly, strategize a 3-year plan to make real movement in ending violence.
Esteemed members of V-Day’s newly formed advisory group – known as the V-Counsel – including Academy Award winning actress and activist Jane Fonda and President & CEO Lifetime Entertainment Services Carole Black are scheduled to attend and participate.
The V-Day activists scheduled to attend are: Agnes Pareyio – Narok, Kenya; Winfridah Anyango – Eldoret, Kenya; Janet Kiarie – Nairobi, Kenya; Mary Morten – Chicago, IL, USA; Noelle Colome – San Francisco, CA, USA; Angelina Corbet – Charlotte, NC, USA; Rada Boric – Skopje, Macedonia and Zagreb, Croatia; Nuna Zvizdic – Sarajevo, Bosnia; Mariana Katzarova – Bulgaria; Kevsera Memedova – Skopje, Macedonia; Irene Martine Ndaya Nabote – Lumbabashi, Dem Rep of Congo; Lynne Mausenbaum – Johannesburg, South Africa; Claude Boucher – Paris, France; Marie Cécile Renauld – Paris, France; Tamsin Larby – London, England; Nicoletti Billi – Rome, Italy; Monica Capuani – Rome, Italy; Karin Heisecke – Germany; Monique Wilson – Manila, Philippines; Rossana Abueva – Manila, Philippines; Shabnam Hashmi – Delhi, India; Esther Chavez – Juarez, Mexico; Marsha Lopez – Guatemala City, Guatemala; Zoya – Afghanistan
About V-Day
V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a palpable energy, a fierce 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 worldwide violence against women and girls including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), and sexual slavery. V-Day provides funding to create and nurture innovative programs to stop the violence.
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 itself stages large-scale benefits and promotes innovative gatherings and programs (The Afghan Women’s Summit, The Stop Rape Contest, Indian Country Project, and more) to change social attitudes towards violence against women. In 2002, more than 800 V-Day benefit events were presented by local volunteer activists around the world, educating millions of people about the reality of violence against women and girls.
The V-Day movement is growing at a rapid pace throughout the world. V-Day, a non-profit corporation, distributes funds to grassroots, national, and international organizations and programs that work to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day was named one of Worth Magazine’s “100 Best Charities” in 2001. In its first five years, the V-Day movement has raised over $14 million, with over $7 million raised in 2002 alone.
The ‘V’ in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina.
Contact: Susan Celia Swan +1 (212) 445-3288
Following are two letters from Irene Martine, Director of the Centre for Girls and Women, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo.
The first letter describes her successful V-Day event. The second letter describes the outcome of her court case.
Letter 1: Incredible But True
Dear Friends
We are really very happy to let you know that Saturday 6 April 2002 was a remarkable day because of the success of the performance of “The Vagina Monologues” in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo.
For the first time in the history of Congolese women, this day was the happiest day in our lives.
Despite some intimidation from the local authorities, wind, storms and torrential rain, police insistence that we cancel the performance, we finally made our dream come true. Yes, a dream became a reality.
Who among the girls and women of Lubumbashi could believe that one day “The Vagina Monologues” could be shown in Lubumbashi by women, themselves speaking of their body parts? It was taboo.
Assisted by a church choir, the hall, which normally holds 150 people, on the 6th April 2002 was filled with 432 people, young girls and boys, men and women who had come from various townships in Lubumbashi. Others were not fortunate enough to gain entry to the hall because of the lack of space. Outside there were 210 people, not counting those who, unable to find a place in the hall had left, with great regret, unable to attend this important performance.
This morning, as I write this report, I have just received, from the Mayor’s Office a summons to appear there on Wednesday 10 April at 9:30 am (local time). I will keep you informed of the results of this summons.
Throngs of people came to see the performance, firstly because it is the first time a demonstration of this nature has been organized in Congo/Zaire and particularly in Lubumbashi and also because entry was free. As the Government objected to the organization of this demonstration and also as it is the first time that such an important demonstration has taken place, we decided that entry must be free for everyone.
We experienced a unique event for the first time and we are confident “The Vagina Monologues” 2003 will be even better than this year’s event and that the “Centre for Hope for Girls and Women” will make the difference.
For further comment please see the videotape which will be forwarded to you shortly.
Director
Centre for Girls and Women
C.E.F.F.
Lubumbashi
Democratic Republic of Congo
Letter 2: Victory Letter
Dear friends,
In the name of my organization and in my personnal name I must to thanks all of you for your support and commitment on my case which started 06 April, 2002 and now has ended. Because of your support, I believe many things will change on behalf of girls and women whom will discover their rights and liberty. Their freedom will be a fruit of your support.
When we arrived at court, we found a mob of people who came to hear the final sentence. The mob was estimated to be more than 3000 girls, women and men as well. But the majority were the girls. One of the girls said, “We are here not to hear the sentence but we are here to learn our rights and freedom as long as we are concerned, and we must take this opportunity to to show that we support our fellow girls and women since they are supported abroad.”
The mayor had suprised even his lawyer when the magistrate asked him if he had any comment on all that happened since 09 April. The answer from the mayor was: “I am not only asking to apologize to Madam Irene, her team and to the court, but my excuse goes to all Congolese women and to all women on this Earth.”
For arbitrary arrest he must to pay the penalty to the court equivalent to $617 within 15 days and must pay me before the court the amount of $213. Without this he must to be jailed for six months.
After that, my lawyer expressed his anxiousness to see “The Vagina Monolgues” held in Lubumbashi the next year. After consultation, the court agreed but said that two weeks before the performance, [we must] inform the judicial authorities and if possible invite one of them to “The Vagina Monologues” practice and then be given an authorization letter. After that, “The Vagina Monologues” can be performed without any other authorization. The letter will say that the court has agreed to the authorization of “The Vagina Monologues” not only in Lubumbashi but in The Democratic Republic of Congo as a whole.
Dear friends, this success we must to give to V-Day, Equality Now, The Urgent Action Fund and other anonymous individuals and organizations who supported us, technically, morally and financially.
We are winners and we must succeed from success to success.
Best regards.
Irene Ndaya Martine Nabote.
August 8, 2002 – New York, NY
Jerri Lynn Fields has been named the Executive Director of V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and girls, it was announced today by V-Day Artistic Director and Founder Eve Ensler.
“We are thrilled to have Jerri Lynn Fields as our new Executive Director. Her spirit, her capacity to organize and manage, and her great heart will guide us as we continue to expand as a global movement,” stated Ensler on making the announcement.
On her appointment, Ms. Fields commented, “To make the move from being one of the very front line anti-violence groups that V-Day supports to working with Eve and the V-Day staff who lead the charge is both challenging and a dream come true. V-Day celebrates the strength of women while providing support and it is a pleasure to join this groundbreaking movement with both the vision and the mission to effectively raise awareness and funds in the fight to end violence against women.”
In her new role which she assumed in April, Fields will oversee the day to day operations of the V-Day movement including supervising the core staff of directors, financial management, and the growing calendar of events and programmatic work around the world, all part of the V-Day mission to raise awareness and funds to stop violence against women and girls.
Fields came to V-Day in 2001 as the Development and Communications director after serving in the same role with the Fund for the City of New York. Her career in women’s and human services began immediately after obtaining a master’s degree in College Student Personnel Administration, when she began working in human services at Horizons Community Services in Chicago, the largest gay and lesbian social service agency in the Midwest, where she served as Director of Youth Services, Anti-Violence Project Director and Director of Programs. She then led Rape Victim Advocates in Chicago as executive director for three years.
She was the president of the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault and served on the Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women in Illinois. She has served on the board of Equality Illinois and the Center for Anti-Violence Education in Brooklyn, NY and is currently on the Leadership Committee of Rape Victim Advocates and the Advisory Council of RAINN, the National Sexual Assault Hotline.
Fields replaces previous Executive Director Willa Shalit, who served in that role since 1998 and was one of the original group of women who founded V-Day with Ensler in late 1997.
About V-Day: V-Day is a global movement that helps anti-violence organizations throughout the world continue and expand their core work on the ground, while drawing public attention to the larger fight to stop worldwide violence (including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), sexual slavery) against women and girls.
V-Day is also a day (on or around Valentine’s Day in February), for which annual theatrical and artistic events are produced around the world to transform consciousness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. Each year, V-Day promotes a series of innovative productions, events and initiatives that are identified collectively as V-Day and the year (i.e. V-Day 2001, V-Day 2002, V-Day 2003…). In 2002, V-Day evolved from one day – Valentine’s Day – into a 13-week calendar of events and social action campaigns. From January 24 – April 20, 2002, more than 800 benefit productions of Ensler’s play, “The Vagina Monologues,” took place in theatres, community centers, houses of worship, and college campuses around the world.
The movement is growing at a rapid pace throughout the world. V-Day, a non-profit corporation, distributes funds to grassroots national, and international organizations and programs that work to stop violence against women and girls. In its first four years, V-Day raised more than $7 million and was named one of Worth Magazine’s “100 Best Charities.” In 2002, the V-Day movement raised nearly $7 million.
The ‘V’ in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine, and Vagina.
# # # #
Contact: Susan Celia Swan, (212) 445-3288, press@vday.org
As a result of the event, V-Day announces Indian country initiative to raise awareness and money around the issues facing Native women in the U.S.
August 1, 2002, Rapid City, SD
V-Day, the global movement to stop violence against women and girls, announced today the fundraising results of the V-Day Rapid City 2002 benefit for Cangleska, Inc., a private, nonprofit tribally chartered organization, which provides domestic violence and sexual assault services to the people of the Oglala Lakota Nation on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
Proceeds from the successful V-Day Rapid City 2002 event “On Sacred Ground…A Safe Place” raised $40,000 via ticket sales and Jane Fonda, who participated in the evening, has donated $10,000. The total of $50,000 will go towards the building of a new shelter. V-Day is continuing to work with Cangleska to raise funds for the shelter.
As a result of the event, and its work with Cangleska, V-Day, the global movement to stop violence against women and girls, has prioritized raising consciousness, awareness and money around the issues facing Native women in this country and has launched the Indian Country Initiative. Native activist Suzanne Blue Star Boy, who leads the initiative, will travel across Indian Country to educate Native women about V-Day as a means to fundraise for local anti-violence programs. In addition, V-Day will seek to educate about the issues of violence against Native women in its upcoming V-Day 2003 campaigns and benefits (scheduled to take place during February – April 2003).
V-Day Rapid City 2002 featured the Rapid City premiere of V-Day Artistic Director and Founder/Playwright Eve Ensler’s performing her world renowned play “The Vagina Monologues,” with special guests Jane Fonda, Tantoo Cardinal, and musical guests ULALI. Jenny Ghost Bear opened the event at the Ramkota Hotel and Convention Center with a Lakota Four Directions song. Marlin Mousseau, George Twiss, and Karen Artichoker, Management Team Directors for Cangleska, Inc. thanked V-Day and the Rapid City community for its support and concern for Oglala women and children.
In Indian county, the rate of violence against women is the highest in the nation. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the average annual rate of rape and sexual assault among American Indians is 3.5 times higher than for all other races.
About Cangleska, Inc.:
Cangleska, Inc. (pronounced Chung Gle Shka) is a private, non-profit 501 (c) (3) and tribally chartered organization, serving the Oglala Lakota Nation on the Pine Ridge Reservation, in Kyle, South Dakota. Cangleska’s purpose is to provide domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and intervention services to the people of the Oglala Lakota Nation. Cangleska, Inc. is nationally recognized as the leader in Indian Country in response to domestic violence and sexual assault. Their shelter and outreach advocates provide services to over 800 women per year and thousands of children. The Oglala Lakota Tribe is in a state of emergency regarding the violence within the family and the present facility used as a shelter for women who are battered and their children is inadequate to meet the need.
About V-Day
V-Day is a global movement that helps anti-violence organizations throughout the world continue and expand their core work on the ground, while drawing public attention to the larger fight to stop worldwide violence (including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), sexual slavery) against women and girls.
V-Day is also a day (on or around Valentine’s Day in February), for which annual theatrical and artistic events are produced around the world to transform consciousness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. Each year, V-Day promotes a series of innovative productions, events and initiatives that are identified collectively as V-Day and the year (i.e. V-Day 2001, V-Day 2002, V-Day 2003…). In 2002, V-Day has evolved from one day – Valentine’s Day – into a 13-week calendar of events and social action campaigns. From January 24 – April 20, 2002, more than 800 benefit productions of Ensler’s play, “The Vagina Monologues,” took place in theatres, community centers, houses of worship, and college campuses around the world.
V-Day, a non-profit corporation, distributes funds to grassroots national, and international organizations and programs that work to stop violence against women and girls. In just five years, V-Day has raised over $7 million and was recently named one of Worth Magazine’s “100 Best Charities”.
The ‘V’ in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine, and Vagina.
With Help from Equality Now, Congolese Women’s Rights Group Wins the Right to Produce “The Vagina Monologues” for V-Day in Lubumbashi
NEW YORK, July 18, 2002: Yesterday was a day of victory for Irene Martine, Director of the Center of Hope for Girls and Women (CEFF) – an NGO in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) working to end violence against women and to promote the rights of women and girls in the DRC.
Arrested at the instigation of the Mayor of Lubumbashi for staging a V-Day benefit production of “The Vagina Monologues” in April, Ms. Martine was charged with: (i) insubordination; (ii) pornography and the incitement of minors to debauchery; (iii) incitement of girls and women to rebellion; and (iv) importation of Western ideas.
She was detained for two weeks. Women and girls who came to demonstrate on her behalf were themselves arrested as they were singing songs of protest and also detained.
Equality Now was alerted by V-Day to the plight of Ms. Martine, and through its LAW (Lawyers Alliance for Women) Project–an initiative to promote equality for women through law–encouraged Ms. Martine to challenge the charges against her. The LAW Project also secured funding to enable Ms. Martine to hire a lawyer, who convinced the court to summon the Mayor to explain his actions.
At a hearing on July 10th, Ms. Martine’s lawyer cross-examined the Mayor, disputing each of the charges as either unsubstantiated or not criminal in nature. He pointed out, for example, that the Mayor himself was wearing a suit that was “100% importation of western mentalities.”
Several thousand women and girls reportedly came to court to support Ms. Martine, and the crowd in the courthouse booed the Mayor of Lubumbashi when he allegedly stated that Ms. Martine’s attempt to perform the Vagina Monologues was an attempt “to destroy culture and families.”
The court found in favor of Ms. Martine, and imposed a heavy fine or 6 months imprisonment on the Mayor, who apologized, reportedly stating, “I am not only apologizing to Madam Irene, her team and to the court, but my apology goes to all Congolese women and to all women on this earth.”
Equality Now and V-Day welcome the ruling, which is a great success for Ms. Martine, CEFF, V-Day and all women and girls in the DRC.
Equality Now is an international human rights organization working to protect women’s rights.
V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls.
Read Irene Martine’s letters about V-Day Lubumbashi and her court case.
Contact:
Alia Levine, Equality Now
(212) 586-0906
alevine@equalitynow.org
Susan Celia Swan, V-Day
(212) 445-3288
press@vday.org
To join an Amnesty International action on Gujarat, click here.
On July 17th, V-Day founder and playwright Eve Ensler chaired a briefing by noted Indian activist and documentarian Shabnam Hashmi. Ms. Hashmi briefed the media, key opinion leaders, and the public on the ongoing Gujarat atrocities, as well as on the cross-communal peace efforts of Hindu-Muslim women.
WHO: A citizen of India, Ms. Hashmi has been working to end communal violence and preserve freedom of expression in India for many years. She has served as V-Day’s South Asia coordinator for the past 3 years. With her husband, Ms. Hashmi has just completed a documentary on Gujarat, never before seen outside of India. She has travelled to over 25 villages and districts over the past three months mobilizing relief and documenting the atrocities against women. Along with two colleagues she has also produced an exhibition on Gujarat called “Harvest of Hatred”, which will be on display in the Congressional Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC Thursday and Friday, July 18th and 19th.
WHAT: Hundreds of innocents, including many women and children, have been killed and brutalized in Gujurat since late February. Ms. Hashmi will present stories of women who were brutalized and raped in their homes and refugee camps, and also share the strategies of Muslim and Hindu women who are demanding justice and human rights for the victims. She will show a clip from the documentary, which was funded, in part, by an award from V-Day. At the briefing, Ms. Hashmi will provide direct information about the communal violence in Gujarat and the immeasurable effects of this catastrophe on women and children so that the audience may understand how they might help and work to stop the violence.
NOTE: This special V-Day briefing also served as the launch of one of V-Day’s newest initiatives to bring its global movement to end violence against women and girls to Muslim, Islamic and African countries spearheaded by newly appointed V-Day Special Representative Hibaaq Osman.
To join an Amnesty International action on Gujarat, click here.
For Additional Information:
Read a recent story from the New York Times about the violence in Gujarat (free registration required)
Press Contact: Susan Celia Swan, (212) 445-3288, press@vday.org