Celebrating & Honoring Our Mothers, Support the V-Day Mother's Day Fund for Incarcerated Women

Photo Credit: @stinknormale_superhelden

Today, V-Day wishes all a Happy Mother's Day. As we reflect upon and honor the women who have given us life – whether that is through birth, chosen family, or adoption – we express our deepest gratitude and celebrate these mothers today and every day.

We give thanks for our most essential mother – Mother Earth – and we honor essential mothers everywhere. We honor caretakers on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic who are risking their lives as essential workers while still mothering, helping, holding, healing, caring, and loving.

SUPPORT THE V-DAY MOTHER'S DAY FUND FOR INCARCERATED WOMEN

V-Day is raising funds for our incarcerated sisters at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility this Mother's Day to provide care packages of food and essentials to help ease conditions and to let them know we care. The women at Bedford are very close to our hearts. For years, V (formerly Eve Ensler) ran a writing group there for incarcerated women, and it is where she met Roslyn Smith, now V-Day's Beyond Incarceration Manager.

Since 26 April 2020, there have been 21 positive cases of Covid-19 and 4 recoveries reported at Bedford Hills.

Covid-19 is an unprecedented and unpredictable global crisis, a defining moment in our history. This virus has affected everyone, but not equally. The deep structural inequalities in economics, health care systems, prisons, race, class and gender around the world are being exposed with devastating results to the most vulnerable people, particularly women.

The general population at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility was informed about the death of a fellow resident Lulu, on 29 April. There were 627 women housed there; now one is gone and we mourn for her with her family and friends.

"This is a sad time for all of us, especially for me. I did my entire 39 year sentence at Bedford Hills. The women there are my family and dearest friends. I love and care deeply for them and have vowed to fight for their rights and dignity. Most of these women are past the age of 50 and many have poor health issues that are not being addressed properly. Visiting has been suspended indefinitely and phone calls are limited to within an hour time frame along with taking a shower, washing clothing, fixing a meal or going to the kiosk to send an email or download a book. The mess hall has limited food to dispense and the commissary is short on supplies. The women must be so lonely and frightened at this time my heart is broken, especially for the children who haven't seen their mothers since this began and for the woman in federal prison who was serving a 26-month sentence and died of Covid-19 several weeks after giving birth to her child while on a ventilator." – Roslyn Smith

Support the V-Day Mother's Day Fund for Incarcerated Women.

Your donation will provide much needed support and hope for women in these uncertain times. This is an opportunity for all of us to come together, help one another and heal each other even if they are incarcerated.

Support Incarcerated Women, DONATE today

"LIKE A WOMAN" HONORS WOMEN & CALLS IN MEN TO THE MOVEMENT

As Mother's Day approaches and with so many women on the front lines, we are playing "Like a Woman" on repeat. Written by singer/songwriter Ryan Amador, the song calls on men to recognize and celebrate women's leadership, and to join the movement to end gender-based violence. "Like a Woman" places the issue of ending violence against all women and girls front and center and calls upon men to RISE.

"Three years ago, inspired by my involvement with V-Day and amidst the horror of our political shift, I wrote 'Like a Woman' to proclaim, from a man's voice, my devotion to womankind. The song is a call to men to actively celebrate women and stand up against those who restrict women's rights and/or perpetuate patriarchal abuse around the world. I am so happy to partner with One Billion Rising to bring this message far and wide." – Ryan Amador, singer/songwriter of "Like a Woman."

Produced by Hanan Rubinstein (Alicia Keys, Rita Ora, Nick Jonas) with a music video directed by Sekou Luke ("The Time is Now...featuring Chantal Georges and Thandie Newton"), "Like A Woman" has been played over a million times and has been featured at V-Day and One Billion Rising activist-led events across the globe.

In time for Mother's Day, Ryan has just released a live version of the song. Watch the video here. The song was also recorded in Spanish recorded by Kike Jiménez (finalist on The Voice Mexico) and Sean O'Connell (Singer/Songwriter and translator of 'Mujer Valiente' and Spanish Language version of 'Break The Chain'), and produced by One Billion Rising Mexico global coordinator Andres Naime.

SHARE the song, VISIT like-a-woman.org