Why I am Rising
One Billion Rising (OBR) is a global movement started by Eve Ensler (for more about her, please see my article in the Inspirations: People section). A victim of abuse herself, she learned that she was by no means alone. In fact more than one in three women and girls will be subjected to physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. There are 6 billion people in the world, 3 billion are women, so that is over 1 billion women who have been/ are being/ will be abused violently.
The global scale of this figure is mind-boggling. There are women in every country in the world who bear the same burden- this issue transcends borders, races and ages. And don’t be fooled into thinking this is a women’s issue alone- how many men do you think are truly happy and fulfilled by subjecting women to violence? It’s a power play. Men who think they have the upper hand that way, in my opinion, are shooting themselves in the foot. I mean, really, is it any wonder we have this dysfunctional, war-and-money driven world of poverty and hunger and suffering, if at least one sixth of the world’s population are suppressed in this way.
Many people believe that violence against women ONLY happens in countries that have extreme poverty. That is not true, it happens in every country, even the richest ones. I think this is used as a cop-out ‘we can’t sort out the violence against women problem until their country has no more poverty.’ That is completely the wrong way around. Liberate the women, give them freedom and a voice, and see how long it takes for things in that country to improve.
The ‘One Billion’ figure includes:
- The women and girls that make up 98% of the 4.5 million people worldwide forced into sexual exploitation
- 64 million girls who are child brides
- 140 million women and girls who are subjected to Female Genital Mutilation
- women and girls raped as a weapon of war in places such as the Congo
- More than 400,000 women ages 15 to 49 experienced rape between 2006 and 2007 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. That is equivalent to 1,152 women raped every day, 48 women raped every hour, or four women raped every five minutes. If Numbers Could Scream: Estimates and Determinants of Sexual Violence in the Republic of the Congo, American Public Health Association, 2011
- The numbers are old, the story is old, but the reality for these women is not- it’s still happening in full force.
- More than 400,000 women ages 15 to 49 experienced rape between 2006 and 2007 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. That is equivalent to 1,152 women raped every day, 48 women raped every hour, or four women raped every five minutes. If Numbers Could Scream: Estimates and Determinants of Sexual Violence in the Republic of the Congo, American Public Health Association, 2011
- girls raped on campuses throughout the USA
- domestic abuse in the UK and every other country
- sexual violence throughout Latin America
- women and girls attacked with acid in places like India… the list goes on.
How OBR Helps
One Billion Rising was set up to give a voice to those women. It brings together all the issues faced by all the women in all the world. It allows awareness, justice, and this years theme ‘revolution’ to grow. It says: this has to stop NOW. It says: Break The Chain. It says: Rise, Drum, Dance. And it will keep going ‘Until the Violence Stops’.
Thailand
In Thailand one of the main issues is the sex trafficking of women and girls. Thailand is one of the worst countries in the world for this- estimates of those trafficked are in the tens of thousands. Most come from ethnic minorities, displaced or stateless children- those who face extreme poverty and have no protection from the state.
Domestic violence is a huge problem in Thailand. A 2012 survey showed 30% of households in Thailand report domestic abuse. That’s only the ones that REPORT it. A recent survey of 481 women in 12 hospitals around Thailand showed that 48% of those women were physically abused during their pregnancy by an intimate partner.
Our Event
Our event was held in Chiang Mai, in 3 Kings Monument Square, right in the centre of the city. Over 150 people danced together to the specially made song ‘Break the Chain’. This dance is performed every year around Valentine’s Day (V-Day= Violence, Vagina, Valentine). This year, many cities in over 200 countries danced for Revolution. Ensler says the dance allows victims of violence feel free in their own bodies. Dancing is Freedom in itself. It promotes unity- music and dance is the language of the world. See what Ensler has to say: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2015/feb/13/one-billion-rising-public-dancing-violence-women-eve-ensler
At our event we had several activities, including chanting ‘Dance, Drum, Rise’; boards to write why people are rising; a big board with the One Billion Rising logo with the head cut out for photos. I was impressed how many people came and got involved, and it was a fantastic way to inform spectators about the movement.
Get Involved!
There are events near you, and if you want to get involved it’s very easy. Learn the dance, it’s on Youtube, and just show up. If you can’t dance, show up anyway and watch. I suspect most of you reading this have in mind a time in which you, or someone you know, was effected by gender-based violence. This issue effects EVERYONE.
Get involved: www.onebillionrising.org click on ‘Find an Event’.
Watch the videos of people rising and dancing around the world.
I myself will be ‘rising’ for the rest of my life.
Or until the violence stops.