[ 21.2.2003, Dovile Rukaite Multikulturně > Ženy ve světě ]

Women’s Issues Information Center in Lithuania proudly presents V-Day Vilnius 2003. On the fifth year of “V-Day” in the frames of World Wide Campaign women and men in Lithuania will hear “The Vagina Monologues” on the National Lithuanian Radio. The only one night time broadcast is chosen on the 20th of February at 11.00 pm and widest auditorium is expected.

This is the first time in Lithuania when Eve Ensler’s ground-breaking, Obie Award-winning play, “The Vagina Monologues” will be performed in Lithuania starting with Radio Theater production. Radio performance is also a last accent of the regional Campaign “Life free of violence” in Lithuania supported by UNIFEM. Women’s Issues Information Center in Lithuania in solidarity with V-Day 2003 is making strong effort raising public awareness, changing society’s attitudes, raising awareness of governmental officials on the issues of violence against women and girls, strengthening cooperation of different stake holders, institutions and all involved partners.

What is 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.

2003 marks V-Day's fifth birthday. Since the first V-Day benefit performance of Ensler's award-winning play "The Vagina Monologues" took place in NYC on February 14, 1998, V-Day has grown into a worldwide social and activist movement, raising funds for thousands of local groups and opening safe houses in Africa and schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In five short years, the movement has raised over $14 million dollars for these local and international groups working to end violence against women and girls in their communities.

In 2003, over one thousand V-Day benefit events will take place worldwide, raising funds and awareness to end violence - an issue that affects one in three women around the world (UNFPA, 2000). As part of the V-Day Worldwide and College campaigns, V-Day benefits feature a performance of "The Vagina Monologues" and are scheduled between January 31 and March 9, 2003. For the first time, these V-Day benefits will include two new community-written monologues, one by women and one by men, envisioning a world without violence V-World.