First European `Jour-V' Benefit Performance of "The Vagina Monologues" to Feature Eve Ensler, Annie Lennox, Dame Anita Roddick..
04/08/2005
Iraqi Activist Yanar Mohammed To Be Presented "Vagina Warrior" Award
At The Flagey In Brussels, Tuesday 19 April 2005 At 20:00
On Tuesday, April 19, the first European "Jour-V" benefit performance of "The Vagina Monologues" by Eve Ensler will attract celebrities and politicians from all over Europe. Produced by V-Day Europe, the aim of the festive evening will be to raise awareness and vital funds for women's organizations that work to end violence against women. The event will address an international audience.
For the first time ever, Eve Ensler, V-Day Founder and playwright of "The Vagina Monologues," will be joined by by a cast of European celebrities and politicians, including Annie Lennox (UK, Singer, Songwriter) Anita Roddick (UK, founder of The Body Shop), Fadila Laanan (Belgian Minister for Cultural Affairs), Marie Arena (Belgian Minister ), Veronique de Keyser (Belgian MEP), Isabelle Durant (Belgium, Senator ), Goedele Liekens (Belgium, journalist), Ingrid de Borchgrave (Belgium, designer), Katja Riemann (Germany, actress), Lara Fabian (Belgium, singer), Laurence Bibot (Belgium, actress), Mianne Bagger (Danemark, professional golf player), Soda (Belgium, TV presenter), Rebecca Gomperts (The Netherlands, founder of "Women of Waves"), Nicole Croisille (France, singer), Marja Leena Junker (Finland, actress) and Sophie Duez (France, actress) for a multilingual benefit performance of her award winning play.
V-Day Europe will present Yanar Mohammed, Executive Director of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), with the "Vagina Warrior" award in honor of her work defending women's rights and stopping atrocities against Iraqi women. Through OWFI, Ms. Mohammed is working on the development of a women's shelter in Baghdad to protect women who are fleeing from violence and "honor killings." In addition, she serves as the Editor in Chief of the newspaper Al-Mousawat (Equality). Mohammed has been featured in major and international media including BBC, The Guardian, CNN, The New York Times, TIME magazine, and many more.
Jour V Beneficiary organizations include Rape Crisis Network Europe (http://www.rcne.com), Garance asbl (http://www.garance.be), Solidarite Femmes et Refuge pour Femmes Battues asbl and Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq (http://www.equalityiniraq.com).
To buy tickets:
In Belgium Ticket Fnac : 0900-00600
From all countries in the world call +32 56 85 42 30
From Belgium and France tickets can be booked online at
http://www.fnac.be or http://www.fnac.com (write Jour V or Monologues du
Vagin in the search field).
This exceptional performance closes a two-day workshop around the concept of the V-Day movement and the issue of violence against women. This workshop will be led by Eve Ensler, Founder of V-Day, and other V-Day activists from all over Europe. The first day will be focused on the concept of the movement and ways to raise money and awareness through benefit performances of "The Vagina Monologues" for women's organizations working with survivors of violence. V-Day activists from the UK, Iceland, and many other countries, will present their work and answer questions of the participants. This first day will end with an exclusive screening of the award winning documentary "Until The Violence Stops" about the V-Day movement. To be screened at the Flagey theatre at 20.00.
The second day of the workshop will be more political and will gather NGOs, activists and politicians to develop together political strategies to put an end to the issue of violence against women. Yanar Mohammed, Founder of the Organisation for Women's Freedom in Iraq, will also be there to present the situation of women in Iraq.
With the support of the European Commission, Mama Cash, Amnesty International and the European Women's Lobby, Partners: Commune d'Ixelles, Asticus Europe, Fnac, Just Campagne, Pierre Marcolini, Lefranc-Ferrant, Toni&Guy, ELLE Belgique, Le Soir, La Premiere, Ruinart, Mouchart, Dior, Theatre de la Toison d'Or, IdeB
About V-Day Europe: V-Day Europe is the European branch of the V-Day global movement. V-Day Europe's website http://www.vdayeurope.org provides information in English, French and German and invites groups all over Europe to join the movement.