Last Wednesday, January 22, women from Bonteheuwel, Mitchell’s Plein, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Nyanga, Langa, Dunoon and Bonteheuwel Community Centre on the Cape Flats Bishop Lavis all came together to for a One Billion Rising for Justice, at .

“Many shared their personal pains, and everyone shared in prayer. Through the testimonies, tears, tragedy, and frank sharing of daily trials and tribulations we came together to restore our power”, said Zubeida Shaik, the National Convenor of Project365. Project365 is a community based movement started to fulfill commitments made to communities during the 2013 OBRSA Campaign.

This year, survivors of gender-based violence and prejudice-based violence are encouraged to gather on V-Day, 14th February, outside places where they are entitled to justice – such as court houses, police stations, government offices, or simply public gathering places where women deserve to feel safe but too often do not.

“One Billion Rising for Justice is a call to survivors and their allies to break the silence – politically, outrageously, artistically – through art, dance, marches, ritual, song, spoken word, testimonies, and other ways that best express their outrage, their need, their desire, and their joy,” stated Eve Ensler, founder of V-Day and One Billion Rising.

According to the Medical Research Council over 140 women are raped daily in South Africa. Last year a six week old baby girl was raped by an uncle in the Northern Cape, and Anene Booysen (17) was brutally gang-raped and murdered in the Western Cape. On the anniversary of Booysen’s passing (Sunday, 2nd February) OBR South Africa will host an Interfaith Memorial Service for victims of sexual and physical violence, at the Saint George Cathedral (Cape Town). This memorial is not only meant to honour those who have passed through gender-based violence and prejudice, but also show solidarity to their families.

Here is a short clip of women dancing as they cleaned up after the event.

More some pictures below:

 

 

Pre rising event with Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT) and Red Zebra January 29.

 This event was a collaborative effort among One billion Rising for Justice, SWEAT and Red Zebra. The participants were encouraged to examine their collective and personal understanding of:  “What is Justice?”, “The State of Justice in South Africa”, “What should Justice look like?”.

There was Story Circle, Song and dance as well as drumming. Everyone took part in learning the “break the chain dance” and the Cape Town Afro beat version of it.

Below are some pictures: