One Billion Rising: a look
back at 2013 and looking forward to 2014
Created in response to a UN
statistic that one in three women will be raped or beaten in her lifetime, in
2013 One Billion Rising implored women and men across the world to strike,
dance and rise to demand an end to violence against women and to challenge the
patriarchal systems that enable such violence to continue. One billion people in over 200 countries took
up that call. This action to end
violence against women was not limited to 14th February, however. Activists across the world incorporated the
message of OBR into all programmes and activities. In India, women’s groups organised protests,
cultural events, debates and discussions to draw attention to the horrific
violence inflicted upon Indian women from all communities and all walks of
life. In Tamil Nadu, EKTA and other
groups connected the mission of One Billion Rising with other efforts focused
on addressing and challenging gender-based violence and discrimination, such as
the 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women campaign. Working with Madurai-based college students,
EKTA also created a short video—playing off a short film released by the
international campaign—depicting the common forms of violence in Tamil Nadu and
women rising up to demand an end to these actions.
This is what One Billion Rising
2013 looked like:
In Tamil Nadu:
OBR in Madurai at the Gandhi museum
See also:
Following the success of 2013, the
goal of One Billion Rising 2014 is to bring women and men around the world
together to RISE, RELEASE, DANCE and DEMAND JUSTICE. From the OBR website: “This year’s campaign is
a call to women, men, and youth around the world to gather on 14 February 2014
outside places where they are entitled to justice. More than 100 countries are already signed on
to Rise outside court houses, police stations, government offices, school
administration buildings, work places, sites of environmental injustice, military
courts, embassies, places of worship, or other public spaces for justice,
marking the call to end the rampant impunity that prevails globally.” “Our stories have been buried, denied, erased,
altered, and minimized by patriarchal systems that allow impunity to reign.
Justice begins when we speak, release, and acknowledge the truth in solidarity
and community. ONE BILLION RISING FOR JUSTICE is an invitation to break free
from confinement, obligation, shame, guilt, grief, pain, humiliation, rage, and
bondage.”
V-Day founder and playwright Eve
Ensler explained connected One Billion Rising 2013 and 2014 as thus: “In 2013,
one billion rose around the world to end violence against women and girls in
the biggest mass action in the history of the world. This year we are escalating and connecting the
dots. We are rising for gender,
economic, racial, environmental Justice. We are rising and dancing with our bodies, to
end the violations towards our bodies and the body of the earth.”
In December 2013, Eve Ensler visited
the YWCA in Chennai (EKTA helped organize the event) and spoke about the international
One Billion Rising campaign, OBR in India, and One Billion Rising for Justice
2014. Eve explained OBR 2014’s focus on justice: “Unless there is justice, unless
there is connection and accountability, unless there is cause and consequence
and they are connected, unless we understand that you can’t address violence
against women unless you address economic injustice and racial injustice and environmental
injustice – these are connected in the same story – we will never, ever move
forward.” You can listen to Eve’s entire
speech (and her performance of an original piece written about rising for
justice in India) here.
EKTA is thrilled to be part of
this global phenomenon. Thus far, we
have tied in the messages and themes of the campaign into our 16 Days of Activism
to End Violence Against Women activities, which reached over 24,000 persons
across 400 villages in Tamil Nadu. We
have also been visiting local colleges and universities to engage students in
the campaign and to help raise their awareness about gender roles and
expectations, gender-based violence and discrimination, and how they can help
undermine the patriarchal conditions that, as Eve talked about in Chennai,
undermine the health and happiness of both women and men.
Be sure to check EKTA’s Event Page on the OBR website for updates regarding the 14th February One Billion Rising for
Justice event in Madurai! We have had 3 planning meetings and we are rising in
a BIG WAY for justice in Tamil Nadu! We have another meeting coming shortly,
and we will update you all on the finalised plans. Let us all come together to
make One Billion Rising for Justice an even bigger success in 2014!
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