In 10 years, V-Day has raised more than $50 million and made advocates, donors and ‘warriors’ of thousands of women in its effort to combat violence against women around the world.

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

“Our next 10 years, the theme is changing the story of women, looking at all the pieces that go into changing the story of women, and making women safe and empowered. It has to do with honoring the Earth, and it has to do with [eradicating] racism, and it has to do with economic empowerment, and it has to do with bringing boys up to be tender and vulnerable and able to express their sensitivity,” she explains. “And I think if we can really, really get underneath what allows this dynamic of violence to continue, we can really shift it. I have enormous faith seeing that the last 10 years have been so successful.

“My dream for the next 10 years is that we raise this issue to such importance that billions of dollars are going toward ending violence against women. If that were happening, I could literally die and be happy,” she adds. “Because I know it would change. If we see how much happens, how many huge things happen, from the [relatively small amount of money V-Day is] able to give away — if we had billions, do you know what we could do?” FS

V-Day

2324 E. West Ave.

New York, NY 09119

Contact: info@vday.com

On the Web: www.vday.org

About V-Day (from www.vday.org):

V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a 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 violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation and sexual slavery.

V-Day’s mission:

• V-Day is an organized response against violence toward women.

• V-Day is a vision: We see a world where women live safely and freely.