THROUGH the participation of stakeholders, partners, and sponsors to The One Billion Rising Launch, it was evident that each and every one who attended are dedicated to making an impact in the lives of women and girls.

One Billion Rising will go down in history as the greatest campaign launched in demonstration for the liberation of women in the history of Swaziland. I started this journey when I realised that women and girls were systemically oppressed due to our patriarchal society and laws. In Swaziland, we live in a society which undervalues women.

In the Kingdom of Swaziland, every girl and woman should have every chance in life, every chance at happiness, and every chance at success. Yet tragically, hundreds of hundreds of women shoulder the burden of abuse or neglect.

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One Billion Rising Revolution Swaziland organizers at the launch of One Billion Rising 2017. The women behind the success of the campaign from left Ms Phumelele Dlamini Zulu ( from the domestic workers union), Ms Nomsa Motsa( from the coalition of the informal sector) and Pamela Keilig ( from the Girls Leading Our world movement under Peace Corp Swaziland)

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Rising in Solidarity with powerful Swaziland Artists at the launch of One Billion Rising Revolution Swaziland 2017. Beat the drum, paint, sing until justice is served #Arts Awake #Blacknote/poet/author/dramatist/art teacher#Khole Tshabalala #Yebo! Art & Design Swaziland 

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Amazing Guest Speaker Mrs Mbali Dludlu at the launch One Billion Rising Revolution Swaziland 2017. Talking about the importance of Solidarity.

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Also present was the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Gender unit in solidarity against the exploitation of women.

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Words of Solidarity from partner organizations at the launch – with Women and Law in Southern Africa-Swaziland Chairperson Ms Feli Maphala,  Swaziland Rural Women’s Assembly Executive member Ms Cebile Corrah, Domestic workers union Ms Phumelele Dlamini Zulu

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In Solidarity against the exploitation of women with US Ambassador to Swaziland her excellency Lisa Peterson, EU Ambassador to Swaziland his excellency Nicola Bellomo, Members of Parliament Honorable Jan Sithole and Honorable Owen Nxumalo, Representative of the Gender and Family department under the Deputy Prime Minister’s office, Civic Society Organisations Leaders and Artists at the launch One Billion Rising Revolution Swaziland 2017.

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ABOUT ONE BILLION RISING

One Billion Rising is the biggest mass action to end violence against women in human history. The campaign, launched on Valentine’s Day 2012, began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that one in three women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at seven billion, this adds up to more than ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS. On February 14, 2013, people across the world came together to express their outrage in, strikes, dances, and RISE in defiance of the injustices women suffer, demanding an end at last to violence against women and girls.

On February 14, 2014, One Billion Rising for Justice focused on the issue of justice for all survivors of gender violence, and highlighted the impunity that lives at the intersection of poverty, racism, war, the plunder of the environment, capitalism, imperialism, and patriarchy. For the third year of the campaign, One Billion Rising’s global coordinators chose the theme of “Revolution” as an escalation of the demand for justice, and to build upon the massive efforts of communities worldwide that also looked at the roots and causes of violence as part of their call for justice. On (or around) February 14, 2015, millions of activists in over 200 countries gathered to Rise for REVOLUTION, to change the paradigm, demand accountability, justice and systematic CHANGE. We are rising to show we are determined to create a new kind of consciousness – one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable.

In 2016, the theme of Revolution continues with a call to focus on marginalised women and to bring national and international focus to their issues; to bring in new artistic energy; to amplify Revolution as a call for system change to end violence against women and girls*; to call on people to rise for others, and not just for ourselves.