Activists have begun to RISE in Solidarity Against the Exploitation of Women in communities around the world. Check-out a few highlights and be sure to get your event on the OBR Events Map. Tag your event photos and posts on social media using the hasthtags #1BillionRising and #RiseInSolidarity 

DELHI, INDIA: February 5

OBR India kicks off with a huge OBR Delhi event entitled “Love Has the Power To End Violence” – a day of music, dance, theatre and conversation challenging violence against women and girls and celebrating love. OBR Delhi begins nationwide Risings taking place in all 22 states of India throughout February.

 

TOGO: February 9 – 12

Women from the plateaux region will be invited for a 4 day stay in the big city of Atakpame where they will receive full day trainings on gender based violence, education on legal processes for justice and how to build networks of women nationwide. On February 10th, a gala night will be held with speakers – women leaders from the sectors of law, social work, feminist activism who will share their experiences. The main OBR event will then take place on February 11th with an OBR caravan across the city with all the participants, joined by high school students and women from the communities, for a public sensitization that will include sketches discussions and public dancing.

 

TILBURG, NETHERLANDS: February 10

12pm – 2pm

Students from the Fonty’s Academy will once again be leading the OBR dance event in Tilburg, Netherlands with their own original OBR dance and song. This year their OBR event will include workshops.

 

HONG KONG: February 12

1 – 5pm

Thousands of migrant and domestic workers from around Asia working in Hong Kong will be Rising to end modern day slavery, social exclusion, xenophobia, discrimination and violence at work. They are Rising to call for decent wages, enough rest at work, safety and protection at work and against HK government policies that are anti-women, anti-migrant and against marginalized people.  The event will include a press conference with leaders from migrants and local groups, followed by an OBR parade around central Hong Kong with simultaneous dancing. In between speeches the OBR dances: “Break the Chain” (in English and Bahasa) and the OBR Philippine dances will be danced. There will be cultural presentations by Filipino, Sri Lankan, Nepali, Indonesian and local Hong Kong domestic worker groups. And an OBR Dance competition will also be held. Speeches will be on issues of social exclusion, human trafficking and modern-day slavery, sexual violence, discrimination, exploitation and xenophobia on immigrant women in HK, exploitation and discrimination of working women in HK, and the importance of global solidarity.

 

AUSTRALIA: February 14

SYDNEY:

Parramatta 9am/ Bankstown 11:30am/ Campsie 3:30pm

ASIAN WOMEN AT WORK Inc is a network of Asian migrant women workers that empowers, resources and assists women to stand up, speak out and take collective action to advocate for their rights and develop strategies that improve women’s lives, end exploitation in the workplace and home, obtain secure employment and enable them to understand and contribute to Australian society. They will be dancing and rising in Sydney From Parramatta – to Bankstown – and to Campsie calling: No To Exploitation of Women!

 

BYRON BAY:

Traditionally opening the 48 hour cycle of February 14th OBR events around the world, OBR Byron Bay once again will Rise by the beach at sunrise with dancing. Then they will continue onto the evening with an OBR event featuring original stories from local women at the Byron Theatre.

 

PHILIPPINES: February 14

MANILA: ST. Scholastica’s College 7:30am

Yearly, 5,000 students Rise at the all girls St. Scholastica’s College – a pioneering school where girls are taught a feminist rights based curriculum.

MAIN OBR MANILA EVENT: 9- 11am

The main OBR Manila event will take place at Liwasang Bonifacio in busy downtown Manila, where 10,000 people are expected to join the Rising. Led yearly by the radical militant grassroots women’s group GABRIELA, OBR Manila is made up of a task force group of urban poor women, peasant women, women workers, students, church women, artists, teachers, children’s groups and migrants. The theme for this year is “Rising for Jobs, Land, Justice and Peace”. Over 150 lead up events are already taking place and continue to take place all over the country before the big day on February 14th – where over 100 Rising events will take place all over the Philippines led by local and regional Gabriela chapters in all regions, in a nationally coordinated campaign.

 

UBUD, BALI: February 14

10:30am up

In November, Green School welcomed award-winning playwright, activist, and Founder of V-Day Eve Ensler and activist and Director of One Billion Rising Monique Wilson to their jungle campus.

Now, Green School’s High School students are hosting this year’s special Green School version of V-Day – the global movement to end violence against women and girls.

Green School’s VDAY 2017 ‘In Solidarity’ is on Friday February 14 featuring a huge One Billion Rising Dance event, workshops, a special assembly, community events and performances with all proceeds going to the Bali Street Mums Project.

 

INDIA: February 14

KOLKATA:

OBR Kolkata leads the Risings taking place all over India on the 14th with events taking place in all 22 provinces. OBR Kolkata will highlight the key themes of Discrimination, Dehumanization and Deprivation of women and their rights. There will be OBR performances by students from schools and colleges and by NGO’s. Kolkata is Rising through songs and dance to promote solidarity and to disrupt any infringement of women’s rights and act together to voice the wishes of women and girls.

 

BAHAR:

Over 10,000 people are expected at the OBR event attended by the Chief Minister.

BANGLADESH: February 14

OBR Bangladesh will hold a big OBR event on the street with fire spinners, singers and dancers, before embarking on a month long campaign until March on women’s issues of safety security, housing problems and women in the city not having rights as citizens of that city. A mock trial is being planned with cases of women domestic workers, migrant workers, garment workers, administration and office workers.

MALDIVES: February 14 and 17

Hope for Women will be partnering with a Sri Lankan organization on using theater to bring about behavior change using theatre for social justice. They will use this training and put together and conduct a series of theatre performances on violence against women in March. On 14 February, a number of events will be held across at least three islands of the country. There will be dancing and a number of other performances as well as messaging on sexual harassment in public spaces next to displays of women’s clothing.  Video spots are being created and disseminated to create awareness on the issue of violence against women and the exploitation of women.

On 17 February, violence against women will be integrated into the Friday Sermon conducted by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs

 

AFGHANISTAN: February 14

On 14 February, an event will be conducted that will bring together a number of women who have been successful in their fields including representatives of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs, and Disables, and Members of Parliament as well as a representative from an ethnic minority community.The event will also include performances by women rap artists who rap on social justice issues, particularly women’s rights.

NEPAL: February 14

Governance afaacility, Nepal is organising 4 flash mobs in different locations Nepal with their 27 project partners and civil society to spread the message of love and solidarity.  Marches will be held across Kathmandu on the issue of violence against women.

 

JAPAN: February 14

The Blue Sky NGO will be holding a huge “Break the Chain” flashmob dance in Toshima City near Tokyo.

UGANDA: February 14

To build up their OBR event, poems, art pieces, and cultural/spiritual songs were created by local artists as part of a nationwide campaign. On February 14th, at the Katwe football pitch, a march will be led by the Chief of the Uganda Police Force, the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda Prisons Service Brass bands towards the Youth Sharing Hall for the main event. Program will begin with speeches and sharings on sexual violence and trafficking in Uganda. OBR will then be launched with a grand show and performances by top bands and with cultural dancers leading the dancing.

 

ZAMBIA: February 14

OBR day will begin with a 2km walk from the market to ZOCS where the main activity will be held. There will be speeches by members of Parliament and by the Zambia National Director of WLSA and will culminate with ending violence against women messages through songs and dances led by a local theatre group.

SOUTH AFRICA: February 14

Their “Rise of the Women Leaders Voices of the Cape Flats” highlights the women leaders form the Cape flats working in the gang ridden Cape flats who are currently working with Domestic violence and Rape. Domestic Violence and Rape on the Cape flats has a direct link to Gang Violence. The launch of the campaign under the Banner of 1BILLION RISING, is to look at reducing the scale of violence against women within 10 communities on the Cape flats as part of a 3 year campaign, with advocacy and rights based programs, las well as ooking at skills development and rights based training.

NIGERIA: February 14

OBR Nigeria’s campaign entitled “Rise Nigera” will focus on gender inequality, cultural influence, poverty, property ownership,  and exploitation of women in the work place, through religion and within education institutions. They have placed particular focus on women in Chibok, an area that was disturbed by the terrorist group Boko Haram. The OBR campaign has focused on enlightening women and girls in the community to take actions,  as well as participate in counseling to heal their experiences of hurt. On February 14th, an OBR workshop will take place where lawyers and activist will discuss their focal ssues, before community dancing of “Break The Chain”.

GABON: February 14

This is the first time OBR will be held in Gabon, and the day will include a performance event and exhibition. Popular artists will lead the event, together with the local NGO “Cris de Femmes” who work to protect rights of women and children and who run a shelter.

CAMEROON: February 12 -14

On February 12th, OBR Cameroon will hold workshops and educational talks with youth from universities and civil society in conjunction with National Youth Day in the cities of Yaounde, Douala, Ngaoundere, Garoua and Bertoua. On February 14th, a major communication campaign in Doula at the “Place du Gouvernement” will be held with various sign boards displaying awareness messages on women’s exploitation with the support of the ministry of women and Family Promotion. From 10am – 4pm, an OBR protest will take place to join the international community to stand against violence against women.

ZIMBABWE: February 14

11am

OBR Zimbabwe will hold an Artists Rising event using art and activism in the town of Morella exploring what solidarity means for women, and what are the forms of exploitation women are facing in terms of violence and in terms of the economic environment they are in.

 

ITALY: February 14 and the entire month of February

Over 72 cities Rising all across Italy, in streets, squares, schools, theaters, and many other places around the country.

 

POLAND: February 14

Over 70 Rising events all across Poland. Highlights include OBR Warsaw where an all female choir have recorded an original song. Issues they are Rising for include the problem of violence on dates where 42% of women who have experienced rape have never reported it; 84% of women who have been raped knew their perpetrators; and where 84% of men who commit date rape do not define their action as rape.

 

GERMANY: February 14

Over 131 cities Rising all across Germany

 

DENMARK: February 14

OBR Denmark will host a Conversation with sexologist Julie Jeune and Master Fatman also known as duo from Radio 24syv program Croque Monsieur. The theme explores what it takes to be in a deep respectful and intimate relationship with another human being and which spans gender stereotypes, and how it affects us in our intimate relationships. Another event is also being hosted by Au Pair Network of Denmark who will be holding “Break the Chain” flash mobs.

 

CARDIFF, UK: February 14

10:30am – 3:30pm

An Artist Rising: “Not An Isolated Incident” – where Dinah, an artist, has created artwork of small figures each representing the more than 120 women who were murdered in the UK in 2016 – where the principal suspect was a man. The OBR event aims to raise awareness on violence against women by providing space for discussion, information and debate around the artwork. Happening on the streets of Cardiff.

 

EWL (EUROPEAN WOMEN’S LOBBY): February 14

The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) brings together the women’s movement in Europe to influence the general public and European Institutions in support of women’s human rights and equality between women and men. They are the largest European umbrella network of women’s associations representing a total of more than 2,000 organisations in all EU Member States and Candidate Countries, as well as 19 European-wide organizations representing the diversity of women and girls in Europe. The EWL will coordinate the action of its members throughout Europe, by giving them visibility through its social media channels, its website and newsletter. EWL members from all over Europe are mobilizing and will organize an OBR action (physically or virtually) to raise awareness about sexual exploitation and foster and demonstrate the solidarity between women and between women’s organizations. The EWL is launching a social media action on 14 February addressing key EU level decision makers and EU member states to take a stand against exploitation and violence against women. They will use their different social media channels and will strategically address relevant EU Decision makers at the European Parliament, European Commission, Presidency of the European Council and Member States (through their Permanent Representations to the EU).

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC: February 14

OBR Prague, entitled “Dancing Against Violence” will take place at Palacky Square in Prague. As part of their campaign they will also be holding a photo campaign with photos showing slogans against gender based violence with their hashtag #OneBillionRisingPrague. The event is organized by the Czech Women’s Lobby, in cooperation with the Gym of Hanka Kynychova and the Police Presidium of the Czech Republic.

 

AUSTRIA: February 14

OBR events will be taking place across Austria with highlights including a major event in Vienna, and in Modling – where after community dancing in front of the town hall to dance to end violence against women, participant will go with lanterns to the Church of St Othmar to bring their inner light to light.

LATIN AMERICA: February 14 – March 8

OBR Guatemala has partnered with the International Holocaust Memorial Alliance and  the Ministry of Education to organize OBR events in educational institutions all around Guatemala, Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay – where OBR dancing in schools will be highlighting the issues of violence against girls. These Rising events will be taking place across these countries from February 14th to March 8th.

 

MEXICO: February 14

Rising Caravans will see OBR Mexico rising and dancing in all the 16 neighborhoods that form Mexico City that are considered the red areas – locations with the highest cases of human trafficking. OBR Mexico Risers will be going through the neighborhoods with musicians and dancers to highlight the issues of violence, in particular, the connection of exploitation of women and girls and trafficking. The Rising caravan is a prelude to their main Mexico rising in Cancun on March 4th where they are expecting 5,000 people.

 

ALBANY, USA: February 14

Unchained At Last, a NJ based non profit helping women and children escape child and other forced marriages in the United States. They will be hosting an OBR Chain-In protest at the New York State House in Albany. At their Chain-In they will be wearing bridal attire to drive home the fight to end child forced marriages in the US. Rise to End Child and Forced Marriage!

 

NEW YORK, USA: February 14

6 – 9pm

OBR New York will have a huge Artistic Rising Resistence in Washington Square Park where artists will perform, read, sing, dance, and where there will be a Ranting Box with people speaking out between performances.

 

NEW MEXICO: February 14

11am

OBR New Mexico will be Rising once again at the Roundhouse, and this year they will Rise in solidarity against the exploitation of women and girls and Mother Earth. Earlier on February 7th, there will be a campus rising at SFCC and Open Mic session at the Campus Center.

 

SWAZILAND: February 17

8:30am

OBR Swaziland will hold a street festival in Manzini Town where main streets will be blocked off. The festival will encompass speeches, performances of the new and original OBR Swaziland song and will deliver demands from the informal economic sector – rural farmers, domestic workers, women informal traders and others in the informal sector. They will demand equitable participation from government programs that are meant to empower them economically but fail to do so.  The night prior to the festival, partnering organizations will decorate the major towns in Swaziland to make the entire country aware of OBR.

 

JAMAICA: February 18

9am – 1pm

OBR Jamaica will be centering their Rising on a healing justices event entitled “Raise Ya Voice” at the Institute of Jamaica. Eve Ensler and Monique Wilson will be special guests.  The Rising will be centered on healing and solidarity to address gender based violence in Jamaica, and which will include discussions and actions on “Grounding our Healing”, “Drumming our Power”, “Singing our Power” and “Dancing our Resilience”. Coordinated and led by Afia Walking Tree.

 

ATLANTA, USA: February 18

OBR Atlanta is Rising by producing a V-Day production of “The Vagina Monologues” with proceeds going to the House of Dawn and Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

 

LONDON, UK: February 19

Justice For Domestic Workers group, long time OBR activists, together with their allies, will be holding an OBR event where they will be rising for rights of migrant and domestic workers and to end modern day slavery in the UK.  Additionally a group of OBR activists/artists are planning to spread messages of hope and more importantly creative resistance across high visibility areas of London – they will knit bomb, hang origami installations inside of which have instructional notes, and spray paint stenciled photos and slogans with the UK OBR hashtag, using water protective spray,  that only appears after the rain. This will be captured with photographs and posted on line from 14th-March 8th to encourage others to do the same and add more ideas.