V-Day 10: Filipina Women Work To End Violence Against Women & Girls

Eve Ensler, the author of “The Vagina Monologues,” is encouraging everyone worldwide to celebrate V to the 10th in the most profound ways possible.

Click here to go directly to YouTube.com.

For the fifth year since these US-based Filipina women started this social justice project, Filipina Women’s Network continues to honor the Vagina and Puki in ending violence against women and girls worldwide. M. Evelina Galang, the Filipina Comfort Women of World War II’s advocate, a.k.a. Friends of Lolas, is expected to be in San Francisco during one of the events.

Filipina Women’s Network, www.FFWN.org - poster for FWN 2008 performances of The Vagina Monologues, Usaping Puki, & MMRP; design & lay-out by Al Perez, alsperez@pacbell.net

I am one of the original cast members of the first FWN production of The Vagina Monologues in 2004. I wrote about my experiences in this ground-breaking social justice project in my column at Manila Bulletin-USA: “Finding the Vagina Warrior” in the Filipina Woman.

I feel so blessed to have bonded with many of these women and girls for the past soon-to-be-five years. We’ve learned how to use our Bitch Powers, the way my sister, Noemi Dado, describes it. My roles have been different in every production. This year, the PR team “picked my brains” for suggestions and referrals. I am so impressed by these volunteers!

🙂 So, here’s my pitch!

The Filipina Women’s Network in San Francisco and New York is waiting for you to buy your tickets before the shows sell out! We’re celebrating and honoring 10 years of V-Day! Go to www.FFWN.org for more information.

The Vagina Monologues – SAN FRANCISCO: March 31, 7:00 p.m., Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave. Tickets at www.cityboxoffice.com or 415-392-4400. After-show party at Poleng Lounge.

NEW YORK: April 18, 7pm @ the Philippine Center NY

Usaping Puki (the Tagalog version of “The Vagina Monologues”) – SAN FRANCISCO: April 5, 2:00 p.m., Morgan Auditorium Academy of Art University, 491 Post St. Tickets available at http://morgan08.eventbrite.com. After-show party at Carmen’s Adobo Joint at Pier 40, San Francisco.

NEW YORK: April 19, 2:30pm @ the Philippine Center NY

Until The Violence Stops (Film Screening & Vagina Warrior Awards) – SAN FRANCISCO: March 28, 7:00 p.m., AP Giannini Auditorium, Bank of America Bldg, California and Montgomery Sts. Tickets available online at http://morgan08.eventbrite.com. Begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. sponsored by Ramar Foods.

A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer (NEW show! Filipino women and men cast! aka MMRT) – SAN FRANCISCO: April 4, 7:00 p.m., Herbst Theatre (www.cityboxoffice.com) and April 5, 7:00 p.m., Morgan Auditorium, Academy of Art University, 491 Post St. Tickets available online at http://morgan08.eventbrite.com. After-show party at Zebulon right after the April 4 performance.

NEW YORK: April 19, 7pm @ the Philippine Center NY

Restaurants sponsoring the after-show parties are owned by Filipino entrepreneurs who continue to support of FWN’s Save A Filipina campaign and a violence-free community.

For more information, contact www.ffwn.org or call 415-278-9410

About Filipina Women’s Network

FWN is the non-profit association for women of Philippine ancestry in the United States.

FWN strives to enhance public perceptions of Filipina women’s capacities to lead, change biases against Filipina women’s leadership abilities and promote the entry of Filipina women into positions of leadership in corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors.

What is Save A Filipina?

In collaboration with V-Day, Filipinas Against Violence: Save A Filipina is FWN’s anti-domestic violence campaign to raise awareness through theatre, popular culture and education about the high incidence of violence in Filipino homes and intimate partner relationships. Our mission is to help Filipina women in abusive relationships take action and seek help. Engaging the Filipino community through the V-Day shows and hearing the women’s stories in Tagalog “hits home” and helps the Filipina community understand the broader connections of Filipino values such as respect for women, dignity, family, equality and justice to social and economic issues and to class and religion. More information, email Marily Mondejar at [email protected] or go www.ffwn.org.

About V-Day

V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Playwright/Founder Eve Ensler’s award winning play The Vagina Monologues. 2008 marks V-Day’s 10 year anniversary and with it V-Day has introduced two new events, V-Day’s A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer: Writings on Violence Against Women and Girls, and the V-Day documentary Until The Violence Stops. In 2007, more than 3000 V-Day events took place in the U.S. and around the world. To date, the V-Day movement has raised over $50 million and educated millions about the issue of violence against women and the efforts to end it, crafted international educational, media and PSA campaigns, launched the Karama program in the Middle East, reopened shelters, and funded over 5000 community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses in Kenya, South Dakota, Egypt and Iraq. The ‘V’ in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina. For more information, email Susan Swan at [email protected] or go to http://www.vday.org.

What is a V-Day Campaign?

A V-Day Campaign is a catalyst for mobilizing women and men to heighten awareness about violence against women and girls. By creating this global community, V-Day strives to empower women to find their collective voices and demand an end to the violence that affects one in three women in the US and around the world.

PRESS CONTACTS:

Alyson Megur
[email protected]

Sunny Dykwel
[email protected]
(San Mateo / San Jose contact)


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