It's All About the Vagina

V-Day is a global campaign that raises awareness and funds to end violence against women and girls.

Thursday, February 5, 2009
V-Day is a global movement that raises awareness and funds to end violence against women and girls.
V-Day is a global movement that raises awareness and funds to end violence against women and girls.

While Valentine's Day is a day known for romance and love, V-Day is a global campaign that raises awareness and funds to end violence against women and girls.

The roots of V-Day stem from the first performance of Eve Ensler's "The Vagina Monologues" in 1998, and has since evolved into a global movement.
 
Beginning Monday, Feb. 9, San Diego State students and student organizations will begin hosting a week of events to support this cause.

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Two V-Day volunteers, one in a vagina costume and the other in a shirt stating, “Vaginas: they’re kind of a big deal,” pose together in Aztec Center."

Each year V-Day spotlights a particular group of women who are experiencing violence," said Jenn Bjorklund, SDSU student and campus V-Day event coordinator. "This year's spotlight focuses on the women and girls from the Democratic Republic of Congo.  

"We have had the privilege to work with Gloria Pindi, an incredible woman who grew up in the DRC and is studying here at SDSU on a Fulbright Scholarship."

All proceeds from the week's events will benefit women's groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the San Diego Center for Community Solutions.

Featured event

Three benefit productions of Ensler's "The Vagina Monologues," as directed by SDSU student Torrie Gekas, will be held on campus on the following dates and times:

  • 4 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 14
  • 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 14
  • 4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 15

Tickets are available for $14 each, and can be purchased online or in-person Monday, Feb. 9 through Thursday, Feb. 12 at the V-Day Information Tables in Aztec Center. Discounted tickets are available for groups of 10 or more at $10 each.

Other V-Day events

Other V-Day Events at SDSU include:

  • Feb. 9 – 12: V-Day Information Tables, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Aztec Center. V-Day volunteers will be selling tickets, T-shirts, collecting donations and offering information about the week's events.
  • Feb. 10: "Read My Lips - Open Mic Night," 6 p.m., Smith Recital Hall. This is a free event.
  • Feb. 11: "Any One of Us: Words From Prison" benefit reading, 6 p.m., Smith Recital Hall. This is a collection of monologues written by more than 50 incarcerated or formerly incarcerated women in the United States, and was commissioned by V-Day. The piece reveals the connection between women in prison and the violence that often brings them there. Tickets are $5 each.
  • Feb. 12: "Until the Violence Stops" benefit film screening, 6 p.m., Smith Recital Hall. Featuring playwright and activist Eve Ensler, this powerful film documents how "The Vagina Monologues" grew into an international grassroots movement, V-Day, to stop violence against women and girls. Tickets are $3 each.
  • Feb. 13: "A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer" benefit reading, 6 p.m., Aztec Center Backdoor. This is a groundbreaking collection of monologues by world-renowned authors and playwrights, edited by Eve Ensler and Mollie Doyle. Tickets are $5 each.

Various individuals and groups across campus have contributed to V-Day 2009 at SDSU, including the SDSU Women's Resource Center and VOX (Voices for Planned Parenthood).

For more information on the events taking place at SDSU, contact Jenn Bjorklund at [email protected].

Categorized As
Women's Resource CenterSDSU ImpactCollege of Professional Studies and Fine ArtsAztec Life