V-Day takes over Europe

Cities such as Helsinki, Warsaw, Athens, Budapest, Paris, Barcelona have more in common than the fact that they are all European these days. They are all being taken over by the V-Day movement:  hundreds of women getting on the theatre stages of their cities to perform The vagina monologues,  the popular play written by American playwright Eve Ensler, in order to raise awareness and funds to finance projects that fight violence towards women.

The story of The vagina monologues began in 1994 when Ensler wrote a play based on the interviews she conducted with over 200 women about their relationship with their own body and sexuality. The play, that was first performed off-Broadway with a limited run in a one-woman show starring Eve Ensler as the protagonist, became extremely popular through word of mouth and was later performed by actresses of the likes of Meryl Streep, Whoopi Goldberg and Kate Winslet.  

 Among lighter and funny issues,  violence and rape were some of the most recurring themes to come up during the interviews, and the play soon became a worldwide symbol of the fight against violence toward women. It has been translated into 48 languages and performed in 140 countries.

Following this huge success Ensler, a child abuse survivor herself, decided to use the popularity  of her play to increase awareness and raise money to support existing anti-violence organizations. On Valentines Day 1998, together with a group of volunteers she organized a benefit production of the show in New York City and raised 250 thousand dollars in a single evening. It was the birth of V-Day, a global movement whose ambitious mission is to put an end to violence against women and girls.

Every year, from February  to April, Ensler gives up the rights to her play, allowing groups around the world to stage benefit  performances of the show, in order to raise awareness, empower women and finance local projects to support the victims of violence.

Across Europe this year there are over 100 events organized by V-Day volunteers, involving communities from almost every country on the continent (events.vday.org). Clerks, shop assistants, lawyers, doctors, teachers, housewives become actresses for one day, giving voice to the stories portrayed in the monologues. 

Raising awareness around violence related issues is particularly important in Europe where, according to Amnesty International (web.amnesty.org), Domestic Violence is the major cause of death and disability for European Women aged 16 to 44 and accounts for more death and ill health than cancer or traffic accidents.