Source: suffolknews.co.uk

“A town centre turned red this morning as nearly 20 women came out in force to take a stand against violence towards women. Members of the Bury St Edmunds Multicultural Women’s Group gathered on Angel Hill in support of the international campaign ‘One Billion Rising’. The campaign was first launched in 2012 based on the statistic that one in three women will be beaten or raped in their lifetime. The group joined the international movement a year later and has since held 11 events.

Among those demonstrating was Faith Stabler, a volunteer and committee member. She said: “We’re here to support women who are suffering abuse around the world. Today, one billion people across the world have come together in solidarity. We hope to highlight the abuse women face on a daily and drive change so that women can have more freedom, be who they want to be and speak their minds. Women, for example, in Afghanistan are having a difficult time in terms of lack of access to education. We hope this helps give them a voice.”

Dressed in red, the women held placards with messages such as ‘safe from fear’ and ‘freedom from violence is a human right’. They danced to female empowerment songs, including the campaign’s theme song, ‘Break The Chain’. The women also brought red shoes, which became part of an installation during the event. Faith said the shoes represent women who are no longer here or who are not what they used to be.” – Suffolk News