Some 18,000 women packed Madison Square Garden last Saturday to rock, rally, and rise up. They were celebrating VDay, a world wide movement to stop violence against women. The key organizer is Eve Ensler, author of the VaginaMonologues a play that will be performed this year at 250 colleges and in 50 cities around the world.

The V in V-day stands not only for vagina, but for victory against a global epidemic of violence against women. Inthe US every year up to 4 million women are physically abused by their husbands or live-in partners.

Of women who reported being raped or physically assaulted since the age of 18, three quarters were victimized by anintimate: a current or former husband, cohabiting partner, date or boyfriend.