By Himanshu Guru: ‘One Billion Rising’ protest was observed as a daylong event in India where people from all walks of life including from women organizations, elected representatives, legal field, actors, artists, NGOs and academic institutions participated. ‘One Billion Rising’ (OBR) is a global strike that calls for an end to violence against women.
In Delhi, a march was organized by the women activists at the Parliament Street at 5 PM as a token of protest. The march will be followed by a cultural event which will include a play followed by song and dance performances by students of Lady Shri Ram College, Miranda House and Kamala Nehru College. The programme will continue till 8 PM in the night.
OBR is a campaign by women, for women that seeks for justice and gender equality. Today women across the globe from around 200 countries took part in the revolution on the eve of the Valentine’s day.
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In India, women took part in this global protest actively. The country had witnessed a horrendous gang rape in Delhi, which triggered women rise against violence towards women in the country. Protests, marches, singing and dances were organized to press the demand and to put pressure on the government.
‘One Billion Rising’ was initiated by playwright and activist Eve, who is best known for her play ‘the Vagina Monologues’. Today was the 15th Anniversary of the V-Day movement.
The word “billion” in ‘One billion Rising’ refers to the one billion women who are survivors of abuse. It is an invitation to dance, sing, march and protest to end violence against women. The OBR campaign was led by Kamla Bhasin, the South Asia Coordinator of the OBR campaign in India.
The official website states about ‘One Billion Rising’ that ‘ONE BILLION RISING’ will move the earth, activating women and men across every country. V-Day wants the world to see our collective strength, our numbers, and our solidarity across borders.’