Activists Called for Radical Shift to End Violence Against Women in Thousands of Global Events in 200 Countries

Beginning on Feb 7th and continuing throughout the year,  activists are RISING to end violence against women and girls, and calling for a radical shift in consciousness to end the global epidemic of abuse that one in three women face worldwide.   

That’s ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS.   

Every February, we rise — in hundreds of countries across the world — to show our local communities and the world what one billion looks like and shine a light on the rampant impunity and injustice that survivors most often face. We rise through dance to express joy and community and and celebrate the fact that we have not been defeated by this violence. We rise to show we are determined to create a new kind of consciousness — one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable.

“Countries and communities around the world determine how and why are they rising, bringing into their actions local issues and contexts and their own self-determined aspirations of the change they want to see happen as they continue to rise and demand justice. But they also know that they are connected to a huge and diverse global movement that brings global solidarity and allows local issues to be made visible not just within the national spotlight, but also within the international context. Like years before, in many countries around the world the grassroots communities led the campaigns, and opened up a deeper consciousness and understanding of the many forms of violence affecting women,” stated Monique Wilson, Director of One Billion Rising.

This is what REVOLUTION looks like…

Hong Kong – Rising for domestic workers’ rights

One Billion Rising Director Monique Wilson and Erwiana Sulistyaningsih with GARBIELA Networks and International Migrants Alliance. Last year, domestic and migrant workers rose for Erwiana, but this year, after having received justice in the case against her employer, Erwiana danced and was at the center of the rising. (Photo Source: Monique Wilson)

 

Manila, Philippines

Over 5,000 students, teachers and nuns danced in the quad of St. Scholastica College as a part of One Billion Rising: Revolution. (Photo Credit: AP Photos)

Manila, Philippines

Sister Mary Francis Dizon, the president of St. Scholastica College, said “We rise, revolt and dance to a future when there is no more violence, when social structures and relationships protect and support the vulnerable, and when women and children are safe, secure and empowered,” Read the full story HERE (Photo Credit: AP Photos)

 

 Manila, Philippines 

Youth activists rallied around this year’s campaign calls “Rise against violence, poverty and impunity” and “Rise for truth, justice and accountability” at the Bonifacio Shrine. (Photo Credit: Facebook Pinoy Weekly)

 

Berlin, Germany

Thousands gathered to DRUM! DANCE! RISE! at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Watch footage from the event HERE (Photo Credit: Sascha Römke)

 

Berlin, Germany 

Over 132 One Billion Rising: Revolution events took place in Germany alone. For more on all the RISINGS in Germany visit their Facebook and Webpage  (Photo Credit: Nika Kramer)

 

Bamberg, Germany

Activists across Germany celebrated the signing of the Istanbul Convention, making all non-consensual sexual actions punishable by law. The crowd cheered “No means NO!” (Photo Source: Facebook One Billion Rising Bamberg)

 

Khartoum, Sudan

For the third year activists in Sudan participated in One Billion Rising events. This year their campaign campaign focused on the Arabic word nahda (النهضة) and close to 1000 women and girls coming together to make their voices heard and dance in celebration of all the changes, like access to higher education, that have improved women’s lives in Sudan. (Photo Credit: Mariam Diakite) 

 

Washington D.C., USA – VETS Rising

For the first time female veterans, led by Colleen Bushnell and a group of MST,organized a campaign, VetsRising. Surivorvs gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, in the nation’s capitol, to end military rape and sexual assault. Some veterans survivors are wearing their stories on inside out military uniforms as a part of the Fatigues Clothesline project https://fatiguesclothesline.wordpress.com (Photo Source: Instagram @ladyofinspitation)

 

Mumbai, India – Rising for Freedom

Activists in Mumbai are RISING for freedom, AZADI! Watch their full RISING video.  Youth activists flooded the streets to RISE against street harassment. Watch a video of their fight for gender equality. (Photo Source: Facebook One Billion Rising: Mumbai)

 

Budapest, Hungary

This year disabled activists were at the forefront of One Billion Rising: Revolution events in Budapest. Learn more about the campaign on their Twitter and Facebook accounts. (Photo Source: Twitter @OBRHungary)

 

Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of Congo

The women of City of Joy and surrounding community members launched their Revolution at Panzi to RISE against all forms of sexual violence and DRUM in the Revolution. (Photo Source: Christine Schuler Deschryver)

Zagreb, Croatia

Students at Koprivnica College joined the One Billion Rising: Revolution campaign. Events were held simultaneously at noon on 14 Feb in Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Kosova, Bosnia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Turkey, Cyprus, Hungary and more as a show of solidarity across the Balkans. (Photo Source: Rada Boric)

 

Osijek, Croatia

The Regional Police Department of Osijek were one of the town’s co-organizers for their One Billion Rising: Revolution events.  (Photo Source: Rada Boric)

 

Dhaka, Bangladesh

In Dhaka over 200 people, including well established artists, decorated a 15X 70ft street painting representing women and their strength. (Photo Source: Khushi Kabir)

 

Dhaka, Bangladesh 

Monica Jahan Bose, of Storytelling with Saris, preformed a piece of street theater including a 210ft long sari made up of saris’ from women of her mother’s village.  (Photo Source: Khushi Kabir) 

 

 Bali

Young women and men around the world joined the campaign and the conversation in their communities about ending violence against women and girls. Youth actively shared their participation across social media platforms further extending their message of non-violence. (Photo Source: Twitter @ayasRRP)

 

Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Despite heavy rain, activists, drummers and dancers marched to reject sexual violence against women in Jogja, Java.  (Photo credit: Instagram @yayakarta)

 

Kabul, Afghanistan

Students in Kabul participate in one of over thirty One Billion Rising: Revolution events across the country.

 

Kasane, Botswana 

Activists in the Chobe region of Botswana joined One Billion Rising for the first year and created a dynamic campaign #ChobeRises that attracted participants from multiple sectors of the grassroots, civil society, and the government including social workers, prison guards, teachers, tribal administrators nurses and more. See more from their RISING  (Photo Source: Facebook Kasane One Billion Rising)

 

The Gambia

Hundreds on women, men, girls and boys marched through No Kunda, a village in Upper Badibou region of Gambia to denounce Female Genital Mutilation. An influential ex-circumciser, Fatoumatta, joined the Revolution and publicly declared to protect children has convinced 30 local circumcisers to also drop the knife. (Photo Credit: Emily Thompson)

 

Parque Colon, Guatemala 

One Billion Rising: Revolution events were held in multiple Guatemalan schools, universities, and colleges. The national focus this year was on a judicial commitment to work for justice in cases of violence against women. (Photo Source: Marsha Pamela)

 

 Kolkata, India 

“RISE for Revolution, WALK for Revolution”  led by underprivileged children, college students, survivors and citizens of Kolkata featured street theater, drummers, marching and dancing in Jatin Das Park. (Photo Source: Facebook One Billion Rising West Bengal)

 

Kolkata, India 

Green Tara Social Initiative and Twist N Turns dance studio hosted the cultural events in Kolkata which included dance performances, singing, and a dance revolution to the sound of women dhakis playing the dhak. (Photo Credit: Green Tara)

 Delhi, India

Celebration with our sisters at STOP: Stop Trafficking and oppression of people India. (Photo Source: Facebook Jewel and Lotus)

 

Rome, Italy 

One Billion Rising: Revolution Italy hosted 130 across the country, including 5 in Rome alone. On March 8th, activists are launching a project with 400 taxi drivers who will display banners on their cars that read “Respecting women is my religion” as was done in Delhi, India last year. (Photo Source: Facebook One Billion Rising Italia)

 

Kosovo 

Drummers and activists from the Kosova Women’s Network hosted the local noontime One Billion Rising: Revolution events in solidarity with simultaneous events across the Balkans. (Photo Credit: Facebook Kosova Women’s Network)

 

The Maldives 

Events were held on 4 atolls of Maldives where activists released sky lanterns at the same time in all locations to represent solidarity and unity towards eradicating all forms of violence against women. (Photo Source: Twitter @HumayAG) 

 

Centro Ceremonial Otomi, Mexico 

Hundreds of participants gathered to dance at the Otomi Ceremonial Center, in Temoaya, Mexico. (Photo Credit: Juan Carlos Alarcón Zúñiga)

 

Kathmandu, Nepal

One Billion Rising: Revolution Nepal at Hanuman-dhoka Durbar Square. The program included a flashmob, a self-defense demonstration, songs and street theater. (Photo Source: Facebook One Billion Rising South Asia)

Mogadishu, Somalia

Activists at the Elman Peace & Human Rights Center are RISING for their rights. Read more about the revolutionary work at the center in this BLOG  (Photo Source: Twitter @ElmanPeaceHRC)

Santa Fe, New Mexico

 One Billion Rising: Revolution Santa Fe took place over 4 days and included youth, V-Men, veterans, local artists and survivors. Programs included dancing at a local high school, speaking testimonials at the state capitol, and an art installation “Draw The Line” – in which they traced bodies in chalk on the concrete to illustrate the women harmed or killed by violence;  as they danced later in the day, we ‘erased’ those statistics. See more from their event on their Facebook page  (Photo Source: Jessica Montoya)

 

United States of America – Nurses Rising

Individuals from all walks of life around the world interpreted and shared their Revolution in a myriad of artistic expressions including movement, dance, signs, banners, memes, posters, poems, songs and more. See more HERE (Photo Credit: Janelle Cater)

San Francisco, USA

Activists including Code Pink marched across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, one of many One Billion Rising events across the Bay Area. (Photo Credit: Facebook Eric Verlo)

New York, New York 

ARTISTIC UPRISING at Hammerstein Ballroom. An unprecedented revolutionary gathering of poets, performers and grassroots activists that radicalized the collaboration of art and activism, and expressed how creativity and solidarity can be both be powerful testaments of celebration and protest. Performances by Maya Azucena, Batala NYC, Betty, Climbing PoeTree, Kimberle Crenshaw, Christine Schuler Deschryver, Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes, Eve Ensler, Saru Jayaraman, Gina Loring, Morley, Emma Myles, Kathy Najimy, Thandie Newton, Rosie O’Donnell, Agnes Pareyio, Sunny Patterson, Streb, Swoon, Saidah Baba Talibah, Karabo Tshikube, Monique Wilson, Y3K, Jaha Zainabu, Zoya and MORE. (Photo Credit: Dennis Mannuel)

New York, New York 

Batala NYC: All-Women Afrobrazilian Samba Reggae Percussion Band preforming at the ARTISTIC UPRISING.(Photo Credit: Dennis Manuel)

This photo essay represents a snapshot of the thousands of One Billion Rising: Revolution events that continue to happen around