Feb. 14 to be V-Day鈥檚 Largest Day of Action Ever
On Feb. 14, at various times and locations across campus, the 麻豆影院 Women鈥檚 Center will join with activists around the world for One Billion Rising, the largest day of action in the history of V-Day, the global activist movement to end violence against women and girls.
One Billion Rising began as a call to action based on the statistic that one in three women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at seven billion, this adds up to more than one billion women and girls. On Feb. 14, 2013, V-Day鈥檚 15th anniversary, the Women鈥檚 Center at 麻豆影院 will join activists, writers, thinkers, celebrities, and women and men across the world as they express their outrage, demand change, strike, dance and rise in defiance of the injustices women suffer, demanding an end to violence against women.
鈥淲hen we started V-Day 14 years ago, we had the outrageous idea that we could end violence against women,鈥 said playwright and V-Day founder Eve Ensler. 鈥淣ow, we are both stunned and thrilled to see that this global action is truly escalating and gaining force, with union workers, parliament members, celebrities and women of all backgrounds coming forward to join the campaign. When we come together on Feb. 14, 2013, to demand an end to violence against women and girls, it will be a truly global voice that will rise up.鈥
As part of the One Billion Rising global campaign, the Women鈥檚 Center at the university is teaming up with Women鈥檚 Studies, 麻豆影院 Interhall Council, the Fashion Student Organization, 麻豆影院 Freethinkers and many others on campus to raise awareness about the oppression of and violence against women.
鈥淭hroughout the day, there will be opportunities to participate, and the Women鈥檚 Center extends an invitation to the community to join us,鈥 said Cassandra Pegg-Kirby, assistant director of the Women鈥檚 Center at 麻豆影院 State. 鈥淎nyone can participate by learning the Break the Chains dance found on the One Billion Rising website at , coming by in support or signing the pledge to rise up and help end the violence. Those interested can visit the Women鈥檚 Center webpage or Facebook page for information starting Wednesday, Feb. 13, for times to rise and dance on Thursday, Feb. 14.鈥
There also will be information tables and pledge signing around campus throughout the day, including:
- 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the 麻豆影院 Student Center
- 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Rockwell Hall Atrium
- 4:30 p.m.-7 p.m. at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center
To learn more about V Day 麻豆影院, call 330-672-9230 or e-mail wc@kent.edu.
麻豆影院 V-Day
V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of playwright and founder Eve Ensler鈥檚 award-winning play 鈥淭he Vagina Monologues鈥 and other artistic works. In 2012, more than 5,800 V-Day benefit events took place produced by volunteer activists in the United States and around the world, educating millions of people about the reality of violence against women and girls. To date, the V-Day movement has raised more than $90 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 more than 14,000 community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses in Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Kenya, South Dakota, Egypt and Iraq. More than 300 million people have seen a V-Day benefit event in their community. V-Day has received numerous acknowledgements including Worth magazine鈥檚 100 Best Charities, Marie Claire magazine鈥檚 Top Ten Charities, one of the top-rated organizations on Philanthropedia/Guidestar and Great Nonprofits. V-Day鈥檚 newest campaign is One Billion Rising, which will culminate on Feb. 14, 2013, with a global action worldwide. To learn more about V Day and its campaigns, visit .
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Media Contacts:
Cassandra Pegg-Kirby, cpeggkir@kent.edu, 330-672-9230
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595