Yellowknife (Feb 25/04) - Vagina will be the word on everyone's lips Saturday when the Yellowknife Women's Society presents a benefit production of award winning The Vagina Monologues.

Yellowknife actress Shannon Crummey is part of the cast that will perform The Vagina Monologues on Feb. 28 to raise awareness about violence against women. - photo courtesy of Caroline Johnson

The play is being presented as part of V-Day, a worldwide movement to raise awareness about violence against women, said Caroline Johnson, promoter and fundraiser for the women's society.

"The situation in the NWT, at least in terms of violence against women and girls, is deplorable," said Johnson.

According to statistics released by the NWT Status of Women Council, 196 sexual assaults were reported to the RCMP in 2002 -- 5.5 times the national average.

In the same year, 284 cases of spousal assault were reported to police. In 2000, the RCMP filed nearly 60 cases alleging sexual abuse against girls under 18.

In addition to the play, the Yellowknife celebration of V-Day -- which stands for Vagina, Victory and Valentine -- will include a silent auction, fashion show and bachelor auction.

Johnson hopes the evening, which kicks off at 6 p.m. at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre, will raise the profile of women's issues in the NWT.

Tickets for V-Day cost $30 and the proceeds go to the society, an umbrella group that does front-line work with women and includes the Centre for Northern Families.

The Women's Society will also send 10 per cent of the money raised to Juarez, Mexico, a region where Johnson says women are frequently the victims of violent crime and law enforcement officials do little to prosecute the offenders.

In addition to raising awareness, V-Day is also designed to shatter taboos about the vagina.

"It's about reclaiming our bodies," said Johnson.

Last year's V-Day celebration in Yellowknife raised more than $13,000 for the society.