42 Fundraisingsuccessmag.Com January 2008 Coverstory to the Tenth! by Margaret Battistelli
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to the Tenth! V 42 fundraisingsuccessmag.com January 2008 coverstory to the Tenth! BY MARGARET BATTISTELLI 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 V against women around the world. “Say it! Say the word!” In a church basement in Philadelphia, a Women’s Ministry group is meeting to discuss an upcoming fund- raiser. After a few minutes Writer/activist Eve Ensler and actress Jane Fonda fire up the of conversation, the group’s crowd at a V-Day benefit produc- tion of ‘The Vagina Monologues’ leader points her finger at in New York City’s Madison one of the attendees and yells, Square Garden in February 2001. Photo courtesy of V-Day. “Come on, say it!” ▼ fundraisingsuccessmag.com 43 coverstory “Say what?” the suddenly shy for women and girls. V-Day woman asks with a smirk. In Africa, the Middle East and “Say the word!” Asia, V-Day commits ongoing sup- 2324 E. West Ave. “OK, fine … ” she finally con- port to build movements and anti- New York, NY 09119 cedes. “V … a … g … i … n … a!” violence networks. Among its work: Contact: [email protected] With that, the other women raise funding the first shelters for women On the Web: www.vday.org • a prolonged note like a heavenly in Egypt and Iraq; About V-Day choir that trails off into a fit of laugh- • sponsoring annual workshops (from www.vday.org): ter. And the church’s male pastor, and three national campaigns in V-Day is a global movement to who really had just stopped by for the Afghanistan; stop violence against women and cookies and coffee, leaves the room. • convening the Confronting girls. V-Day is a catalyst that pro- That’s fine with the women, Violence conference of South Asian motes creative events to increase however, since they already had women leaders; awareness, raise money and revi- engaged him in a discussion about • donating satellite phones to talize the spirit of existing anti- violence against women, about how Afghan women to keep lines of violence organizations. V-Day his congregation could reach out communication open and action generates broader attention for to women in need, and about how plans moving forward. the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, this Women’s Ministry could pro- Ensler started V-Day in 1998 battery, incest, female genital duce a performance of “The Vagina with proceeds from her ever-evolv- mutilation and sexual slavery. Monologues” to help empower local ing and wildly successful play, “The women to make a difference in their Vagina Monologues.” Once a year, V-Day’s mission: community. in February and March, Ensler allows • V-Day is an organized response Empowerment is what lies at the groups around the world to pro- against violence toward women. heart of V-Day and its efforts to erad- duce a performance of the play and • V-Day is a vision: We see a icate violence against women around use the proceeds for individual pro- world where women live safely the world. The 10-year-old effort grams that work to end violence and freely. — spearheaded by writer, activist against women and girls (often shel- • V-Day is a demand: Rape, and powerhouse Eve Ensler — has ters and rape crisis cetners). Just incest, battery, genital mutilation raised more than $50 million with about any group can sign on to do and sex slavery must end now. an unusual fundraising model that its own performance, but there’s an • V-Day is a spirit: We believe eschews direct mail, telefundraising, application process where the group Vwomen should spend their lives street canvassing, Web-based solici- leader is required to outline the creating and thriving rather than tation and other traditional venues. mission of the group and its plans for surviving or recovering from In addition to performances, using any money it raises. terrible atrocities. V-Day stages large-scale benefits Once approved, the group receives • V-Day is a catalyst: By rais- and produces innovative gather- a specially written script, along with ing money and consciousness, it ings, films and campaigns to educate resources and guidelines for ensuring will unify and strengthen existing anti-violence efforts. Triggering and change social attitudes about a smooth and lucrative production. far-reaching awareness, it will lay violence against women, including: After channeling 10 percent of its the groundwork for new educa- • the documentary Until the net proceeds back to V-Day to bene- tional, protective and legislative Violence Stops; fit groups in its Spotlight Campaign, endeavors throughout the world. • community briefings on the the group then is free to use the rest • V-Day is a process: We will missing and murdered women of for its approved projects. work as long as it takes. We will Juárez, Mexico; More than 2,000 V-Day benefits not stop until the violence stops. • V-Day delegation trips to Israel, took place in 950 communities and • V-Day is a day. We proclaim Palestine, Egypt and Jordan; on college campuses around the Valentine’s Day as V-Day, to • the Afghan Women’s Summit; world in 2007. Ensler calls it self- celebrate women and end the • a two-week festival of theater, spo- empowered philanthropy. violence. ken word, performance and commu- “V-Day is not a foundation; I • V-Day is a fierce, wild, and nity events called Until the Violence think of it as a movement,” she unstoppable movement and Stops: NYC, which invited thou- says. “A foundation implies a fixed community. sands of New Yorkers to make New hierarchy and a fixed place, and York City the safest place on earth V-Day doesn’t exist in a fixed place. ▼ 44 fundraisingsuccessmag.com January 2008 coverstory ‘We’ve had incredible victories. The play is in 119 countries, people are telling their stories in places I never dreamed women would tell their stories. We’ve changed laws; we’ve had presi- dents stand up and declare themselves vagina friendly; we’ve had members of parliament stand up with us; we’ve opened safe houses all around the world. It’s been amazing.’ — EVE ENSLER, ACTIVIST/PLAYWRIGHT, “THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES” Eve Ensler, center, pictured here with Shiva Rose, left, and Rosario Dawson at the V-Day LA 2003 benefit screening of V-Day’s documentary, “Until the Violence Stops.” Photo courtesy of V-Day. We’re virtual; we don’t really have women — in all its insidious forms And though she’s fiercely serious an office. — generally out of the public eye. about her play and what she’s almost “Really what we are is a self- “Saying the word ‘vagina’ and single-handedly trying to accomplish, empowered movement,” she adds. breaking through that taboo is the humor in the way she’s trying to “We’ve been able in the last 10 years equivalent to breaking through the accomplish it is anything but lost on to raise $50 million. But that has complacency and the normaliza- Ensler and her merry band of Vagina come from grassroots groups around tion of violence toward women — Warriors. the world — individual grassroots getting people to understand that, During the play’s long original Vgroups, thousands and thousands of for example, rape is actually a prob- run, performances were presented by them — doing the play, raising the lem and that beating women is actu- a slew of high-profile celebs includ- money and keeping the money. And ally a problem and that the desecra- ing Jane Fonda, Susan Sarandon, that also comes from being able to tion of women’s bodies is actually not Brooke Shields, Isabella Rossellini, give direct support to self-empowered normal and it’s extraordinary,” the Rita Moreno, Whoopi Goldberg and groups around the world who know effervescent playwright explains. myriad others who gave voice to what they’re doing and … all they “It’s been a great challenge to Ensler’s powerfully penned vignettes need is more resources to do it.” get people to say the word ‘vagina,’ … some funny, some tragic, most and it’s actually been a strange asset shocking and all, without fail, But why vaginas? because, you know, when we started poignant on a level you don’t know It’s not a word that typically is ban- this 10 years ago, there weren’t many exists until these performances dig it died about in polite company. That, people coming our way,” she adds. out of you. Ensler says, is precisely the point. She “People were really scared. If you had V-Day initially was funded with equates society’s apparent discomfort told me 10 years ago that I would, $5 million in proceeds from profes- with saying something as basic as the like I did this week, be addressing sional performances of “The Vagina name of an essential female body the [U.N.] Security Council, I would Monologues.” Now, in addition part with its more disturbing discom- have laughed. The major founda- to monies being raised by groups fort with recognizing the problem tions and organizations didn’t want performing the play, it takes in money of global violence against women. vaginas to be a part of what they did. from individual major donors, care- Breaking down the taboo of the word People were terrified, yet drawn to it fully selected corporate sponsors and, is Step 1 in breaking down the bar- too. It’s that thing of ‘I don’t want just recently, foundations. riers to communication and under- that, I don’t want that … bring it V-Day stays away from direct standing that keep violence toward here.’” mail mainly because Ensler wants to ▼ 46 fundraisingsuccessmag.com January 2008 coverstory avoid competing for individual donor all the things you’re not supposed to dollars with organizations that are be saying or thinking about … we’ve trying to raise money for their own seen this has an enormous impact.” anti-violence programs.