V-Day is an organized response against violence toward women. COHI promotes the health of women in crisis by building the capacity of women’s healthcare professionals to address violence against women, safe motherhood, and HIV/AIDS.

V-Day is a vision: We see a world where women live safely and freely. COHI is action: We help women to gain access to high quality and life-saving health services; addressing their physical, emotional, and psychological needs.

V-Day is a demand: Rape, incest, battery, genital mutilation and sexual slavery must end now. COHI is a response to this demand. In settings where maternal health is often neglected, in humanitarian crises, natural disasters and insecure settings COHI focuses our support around Gender-Based Violence, safe motherhood, and HIV/AIDS.

V-Day is a spirit: We believe women should spend their lives creating and thriving rather than surviving or recovering from terrible atrocities. COHI embodies this spirit believing that if women and their healthcare professionals have the tools needed to provide the best quality care, violence can be addressed and women can move forward, empowered, in their lives.

V-Day is a catalyst: By raising money and consciousness, it will unify and strengthen existing anti-violence efforts. Triggering far-reaching awareness, it will lay the groundwork for new educational, protective, and legislative endeavors throughout the world. COHI catalyzes other NGOs, healthcare professionals, volunteers and donors to concentrate their efforts on the women so often neglected in crises settings. COHI partners with local, grassroots organizations in-country in each project we undertake, fostering local ownership of the goals we wish to collectively achieve. COHI also provides technical assistance through support from our donors and volunteers, allowing for better training and increased knowledge for women’s healthcare.

V-Day is a process: We will work as long as it takes. We will not stop until the violence stops. COHI, since 2004, has supported women in Sri Lanka, post-Katrina Louisiana, Tibet, Tanzania, Israel, Palestine, and Sudan providing assistance to women surviving violence and crisis. It is our hope that with continued funding, COHI can stand alongside these courageous women, bearing witness to their reclaiming of their health and sense of safety.

V-Day is a day. We proclaim Valentine's Day as V-Day, to celebrate women and end the violence. COHI is not only an organization, but also a family, addressing violence against women, one woman at a time, one birth at a time!

V-Day is a fierce, wild, unstoppable movement and community. Join us! COHI is also a fierce, wild, unstoppable movement and community. Join US!

This is COHI's second year working with V-Day to spread awareness regarding women's health and gender-based violence (GBV). Last year, COHI teamed up with two fantastic productions in Israel, New York City, and Apex, North Carolina to help faise funds for COHI's 2008 projects. This year, we hope to be just as successful with various events throughout the U.S. and Israel, again.

For more information and for the events schedule, see the links in the box at right.

If you have questions or want to know how you can help, contact Leilani Johnson at leilanik_j[at]yahoo.com.