OBR ENTERS ITS SEVENTH YEAR WITH A GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION AND MANIFESTA
Risings To Expand Our Understanding Of Women’s Oppression And Exploitation In The Context Of Capitalism, Colonization, Racism, Imperialism, Environmental Plunder And War
One Billion Rising, the biggest mass action to end violence against women in human history, announced today its 2019 theme and activities. Launched by V-Day on Valentine’s Day 2012, One Billion Rising (OBR) began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS.
The 2019 theme is “Rising: From A Campaign, To A Way Of Life,” amplifies that in the face of the global crisis women face amidst capitalism, colonization, racism, imperialism, environmental plunder and war,activism must become a daily practice.
“As a global movement, we are collectively coming into the time and space where we can no longer end violence against women, without looking at all the intersecting issues and layers of this violence, as well as what violence towards women and girls means in this context, and ensuring that these are all equally centered and made visible in our efforts.” – Monique Wilson, One Billion Rising Global Director
Since it began, OBR activists have been rising to free women (cisgender, transgender, and those who hold fluid identities that are subject to gender based violence) from sexual and physical violence in its more overt and obvious forms: rape, battery, incest, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, sexual slavery and trafficking, child marriage, femicide, sexual-gender and reproductive oppression and violence towards LGBTQIA+ communities. There have been numerous victories as laws have been created, awareness has been raised and understanding of women’s experiences deepened.
As the 7th year of One Billion Rising begins, activists are faced with bigger challenges. To end violence against women, the call to action is to commit to a deeper examination of violence in all its forms. Along with sexual and physical violence, we must also look at systemic violence in economic, political, socio-cultural, environmental and ideological spheres.
As we continue to Rise to end violence against women– it is imperative now for us to expand our understanding of women’s oppression and exploitation in the context of capitalism, colonization, racism, imperialism, environmental plunder and war. We have been compartmentalized and divided for too long. Our Rising must now connect our specific oppression to the common universal humanity that binds us all. This is no less than a way of life, a way of seeing, a way of being in the world. It is not one day that we rise, but every day that this consciousness must rise in all we do.
We call on activists this year to be braver, go deeper, reflect, study, listen, learn, awaken to what you don’t know, ask the difficult questions, engage, take actions, and push yourselves out of your comfort zones physically and intellectually. We call on you to commit to resistance and solidarity.
Because Rising is no longer a campaign – it is a way of life. RISE. RESIST. UNITE.
OBR MANIFESTA 2019:
Violence Against Women and Girls Equals…
Rape
Battery
Incest
Sexual Harassment
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Sexual Slavery and Trafficking
Child Marriage
Femicide
Sexual, Gender and Reproductive Oppression
Violence Towards LGBTQIA+ Communities
Toxic Masculinity
Poverty/ Economic Injustice/ Labor Exploitation
Climate Destruction and Environmental Plunder
Racism, Hate and Discrimination
Religious Fundamentalism
State and Institutional Violence/ Militarization/ War
Forced Displacement/ Immigrant and Migrant Abuse
2019 initiatives include global solidarity spotlights, artists rising movement, men rising call, youth rising global network, as well as an ongoing social media campaign and activist news network. Activists worldwide are being invited to hold Artistic Uprisings to escalate political consciousness and urge radical calls to action, telling the stories of women, making their invisible stories visible, exposing the world to women’s issues from their local contexts and from their own voices. Invite radical artists who have curated creative work that fits the theme of OBR Revolution: Solidarity to join.
OBR has become a movement in itself, taking activism out of the theater and into the streets, front and center in countries and communities around the globe. Through Creative resistance, dance & artistic uprisings as a form of protest, OBR activists call for solidarity & an end to the exploitation of women & girls. On or about 14 February through 8 March/International Women’s Day, people across the world came together to express their outrage, strike, dance, and RISE in defiance of the injustices women suffer, demanding an end at last to violence against women.
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RISE 2019! Take Action
ORGANIZE a Rising – RISE in your community, for your community
LEARN about 2019
STAGE an Artistic Uprising
SPREAD the Word on Social Media
This Wednesday in London – V20: London Rising, Get Your Tickets Today
