On Feb. 10, 2007, at 7 p.m., Tahoe Women’s Services will present a one-night only benefit production of The Vagina Monologues at the Cal-Neva. Hailed by The New York Times as “funny” and “poignant” and by the Daily News as “intelligent” and “courageous,” The Vagina Monologues, which was first performed off-Broadway by Ms. Ensler, dives into the mystery, humor, pain, power, wisdom, outrage and excitement buried in women’s experiences. The performance has received acclaim throughout the world ” from Zagreb to Santa Barbara, from London to Seattle, from Jerusalem to Oklahoma City.

Last year more than 1,150 communities hosted V-Day benefits around the world, raising funds and awareness toward ending violence against women. These highly successful events raised over $6 million through performance of Eve Ensler’s award-winning play, The Vagina Monologues.

Tahoe Women’s Services, a local organization committed to violence prevention, has joined this 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. By focusing attention on the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation and sexual slavery, V-Day and Tahoe Women’s Services hope to provide a mechanism for real change.

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In 2007, thousands of V-Day benefits are anticipated around the world. This year’s theme, “Reclaiming Peace,” seeks to make a connection between the worldwide anti-violence work of thousands of V-Day activists, known as Vagina Warriors, with our collective desire for peace and an end to armed conflicts. These activists ” men and women who have experienced violence personally or witnessed it within their communities ” have dedicated themselves toward ending such violence through effective grassroots means. Often, their work takes place in conflict zones throughout the world, where they see how war exponentially increases violence against women and girls. They also bear witness to the fact that a disproportionate number of women and girls face the arduous task of re-building.

V-Day 2007 productions around the world from Ethiopia to China; Indiana to India; Croatia to Finland will put forth this message of peace, generating attention, newspaper articles, and raising funds to support their anti-violence work and dedication to peaceful means.

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Part of what makes this event so special is that it offers local organizations the chance to participate in a global movement, to celebrate and honor the women and girls in our community and to educate our community about this important work.

Most importantly, it is an opportunity for a community to be part of a collective voice, a voice that refuses to be ignored, a voice that says “No” to violence against women and girls.

The Vagina Monologues will be performed at the Cal-Neva, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2007 at 7 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.tahoewomenservices.org or by calling (775) 298-0010. General Admission tickets are $30, VIP tickets are $45 and students’ tickets are $15.

Krishna Desai is an Americorps volunteer working for Tahoe Women’s Services as a violence prevention educator.