V-Week 2014 Statement

V for Voices

In February 2013, the Dartmouth community celebrated its 15th anniversary of V-Week at Dartmouth College. These annual events have brought great conversation to campus.  Through the years we witnessed the power of sharing stories and the commitment to end violence against women and girls, while heightening awareness of the global epidemic of gender-based violence.  None of this would have been possible without the tireless work of strong feminists who have come before us. In celebration of this herstory, we hope to build on the conversation in 2014.

In the past, "V" has stood for Victory, Violence, and Vagina. This year, we propose that the theme of V-Week 2014 is "V" for "Voices" to highlight the different backgrounds and experiences of the Dartmouth community.  In working to support all Voices in our community, we hope to:


? Provide a forum for underrepresented experiences, marginalized voices, and silenced identities.

? Honor the diversity of experiences beyond the gender and sexuality binaries.

? Highlight the intersectionality of identities.

? Focus on the person as a signifier of what it means to be a woman.

? Honor the complexities of the human experience through and beyond the body.

? Represent global feminist perspectives.

...and most of all, we hope to unite the Dartmouth community by providing a platform for all voices to be heard and respected.

To actualize these hopes, V-Week at Dartmouth College will provide different forums for individuals to witness the power of voices. Through performances, panels, and discussions, the many voices contributing to V-Week will enrich our community with self-authorship, agency, and empowerment - the core values of the feminist dialogue at the heart of V-Week.

We invite Dartmouth undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, staff, and community members to join us in honoring our hopes and sharing our stories. If you are interested in being a part of V-Week, please contact [log in to unmask] All voices are welcome.