Let Valentine’s spell end to violence, says Thandie

p27 edition 14/02 Thandie Newton gives the v-sign in support of V-Day (14th February), a day of action and campaigning by One Billion Rising © Oliver Rudkin

14 February 2013

Thandie Newton today called on Londoners to re-invent the meaning of Valentine’s Day to end violence against women.

The actress, who has starred in films including The Pursuit Of Happyness, Mission: Impossible II and Crash, said that ever since she met Eve Ensler, writer of The Vagina Monologues and founder of One Billion Rising, February 14 has had a different meaning.

Newton, 40, said: “It’s Valentine’s Day today but for me it’s been

V-day, V standing for vagina and victory, since 15 years ago when I met Eve.

“Valentine’s is an ideal in everyone’s minds, it’s something that we aspire to, it’s an ideal of romance and is something that we celebrate every year. But that sat against the statistic that one third of women are victims of sexual abuse in their lifetime, it’s not right.”

She said she took her daughters Nico, eight, and Ripley, 12, with her to Parliament today to teach them about the plight of women across the world.