PRESS RELEASE: One Billion Rising 2017: Rising In Solidarity Against the Exploitation of Women: RISE, DISRUPT, CONNECT

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One Billion Rising 2017: Rising In Solidarity Against the Exploitation of Women

RISE, DISRUPT, CONNECT

Using Dance as a Form of Protest, Activists In Countries Across the Globe Call For Solidarity & End to the Exploitation of Women's Bodies, Labor, and Land

Activists Make Valentine's Day a Day for Revolutionary Love and Resistance

Events To Be Held 14 February Through 8 March, International Women's Day,

11 February 2017 – For the fifth year, activists around the world are Rising in Solidarity to demand an end to the Exploitation of all women and girls (cis, transgender and gender non-conforming), as part of the global One Billion Rising movement. 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime, adding up to more than ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS. The annual call to action is developed by the team of Global Coordinators - from regions around the world.

"Because there can be no REVOLUTION without SOLIDARITY. We cannot call for system change – change of mindsets; change of structures that keep violence in place; change in consciousness, awareness and understanding of violence; the end of patriarchal values and cultures; change in policies that affect women economically, socially, sexually, physically, emotionally; the end of the revolving patterns of control, oppression and exploitation – alone. Solidarity is radical connection." – Monique Wilson, One Billion Rising Global Director

"We declare our love for all who are in harm's way, including refugees, immigrants, Muslims, LGBTQIAGNC people, Black people, the indigenous, the poor, and women and girls at risk of violence. We vow to see you as our brothers and sisters and fight by your side…We join forces and stand together with the millions of people across the planet who are rising to end violence against and girls and resist racist patriarchy. To protect women who are most often the most vulnerable within marginalized communities. We take part in it to honor our mothers whose bodies and beings and blood carved the path we are walking on. We are rising - we are dancing - to find the new language of these times – built on a deeper education, radical listening, humility and empathy." – Eve Ensler, Founder of One Billion Rising

In response to the increase in fascist, racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, oppressive, authoritarian leaders - and the neo-liberal capitalist system rapaciously exploiting and oppressing the people of the world, activists are heightening their calls and escalating their actions.  Via One Billion Rising's decentralized model of grassroots activism, each One Billion Rising location applies the 2017 call to action in their local context. Using dance as a form of protest – events, rallies, flash mobs, artistic uprisings, panel discussions, and concerts are scheduled on college campuses, in community centers, state houses, churches, in the streets, everywhere.

 

Rising Worldwide, Together In Community, In the Streets

Risings are happening across the African continent, in Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi, Uganda, Togo, Gabon and Cameroon. In Swaziland they are mobilizing rural women farmers and domestic workers who are rising to demand economic empowerment programs promised by the government. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, they will RISE in March. Events in South Asia include Risings in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka, the Region of Kashmir, and hundreds of events in India alone. OBR India kicked off with a huge OBR Delhi event entitled "Love Has the Power To End Violence" - a day of music, dance, theatre and conversation challenging violence against women and girls and celebrating love.

In Mexico City, activists will dance in the sixteen neighborhoods where human trafficking is concentrated. In the Balkans, activists focusing on women's workers' unions, are hosting risings from 14 February through 8 March, International Women's Day. In Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay organizers partnered with the International Holocaust Memorial Alliance & UNESCO to create education programs around the prevention of violence. Across the Philippines, activists will RISE for justice and peace, focusing on the exploitation and militarization, which harms their Indigenous communities known as Lumads.

In the United States, activists and allies from the Austin community will gather at the Texas State Capital to RISE in solidarity. Activists with the nonprofit Unchained At Last will be hosting a "Chain-in" on February 14 in the New York Statehouse to protest child marriage and forced marriage in New York and across the US wearing bridal gowns and veils, with their arms chained and mouths taped, to send a powerful message to legislators. In Santa Fe and Miami they are rising against the exploitation of Human Trafficking. In NYC's Washington Square Park, Artists and activists will rally and rise to make Valentine's Day a day for revolutionary love and resistance at an Artistic Uprising – A Call for Revolutionary Love.

ctivists throughout Europe are Rising. In Italy, over seventy cities are Rising. In Germany, over 160. In Poland, over 70 In Cyprus, activists are rising against sexual exploitation, violence, and rape, and for justice and services for survivors and the ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention. In Budapest, activists are hosting a wildly creative Anti-Exploitation Ball, where in addition to music, slam poetry, and dance attendees will be invited to the stage to speak out against all forms of exploitation. Members of the European Women's Lobby (EWL) from all over Europe are mobilizing and will organize an OBR action in person and online to raise awareness about sexual exploitation and foster and demonstrate the solidarity between women and between women's organizations.

On 8 March, International Women's Day, Women Workers Rising in DC - a new event featuring activists, women workers and allies will begin on the steps of the United States Department of Labor, where they will Dance, Rise and Resist the bullying, harmful policies, and new norms touted by the proposed incoming Secretary of Labor. The activists will move through the streets and on to Dock 5, where a wildly creative Artistic Uprising will take place featuring those very women sharing stories of harm and care, of scars and redemption, of violence and victories they have experienced on the job. Through poetry, dance, theatre, song and collective expression we will witness these women, who have too long been ignored in society.

One Billion Rising first began in 2013 with the fierce struggle against sexual and physical violence – taking on the advocacy against rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation and sex trafficking that V-Day campaigns over 18 years have been at the forefront of. Over the last four years, as One Billion Rising has grown and the local campaigns deepened, it has also brought in economic violence and the violence of poverty, racial violence, gender violence, violence caused by corruption, occupation and aggression, violence caused by environmental disasters, climate change and environmental plunder, violence impacting women in the context of state sponsored wars, militarization, and the worsening internal and international displacement of millions of people, and violence created by capitalist greed, among so many others.

 

Rising Online, Broadcast Via Media and Social Media

Leading up to 8 March, the One Billion Rising website and social media channels will act as a hub amplifying the global efforts showcasing art, music, videos and news and blogs from activists and events worldwide. The website features an activist toolkit, campaign info, and FAQ and more. On social media, the hashtags #1BillionRising. #RiseinSolidarity, #Unbilliondepie, #RevolutionaryLove and more will flood Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat with posters, videos, images leading up to and live in-the-moment coverage of events and RISINGS via live tweeting, Facebook Live, Periscope, Instagram Stories, and other live streaming. Activists will share their demands, their calls to action and celebrate global solidarity across the Internet.

 

V-Day Activists Shine a Spotlight on Violence Against Women in the Workplace; Eve Ensler Pens a New Monologue "I Call You Body"

V-Day benefit productions of The Vagina Monologues and A Memory, a Monologue, a Rant, and a Prayer continue for a nineteenth consecutive year. For nineteen years, thousands of V-Day benefit events take place produced by volunteer activists in the U.S. and around the world. These efforts have raised consciousness, changed laws to protect women and girls, funded rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters (in many cases these much needed funds kept them from closing), educated their communities, and raised over $100 million in urgently needed funds for groups doing the essential work of ending violence and serving survivors and their families.

Violence against women at work takes place every day, in every country, across socio-economic levels – from laborers to company executives, to waitresses and teachers, at-home mothers, nurses, farmworkers, factory workers, actors, and domestic workers. The additional layer of exploitation is that, in many cases, women facing workplace violence are vulnerable and impeded from speaking out or seeking justice for fear of losing their job. All of this is happening in the context of a global economic reality where it is increasingly difficult for women to even earn a livable wage. This year, we are honoring the sacred and valuable work of women around the world, in all its forms, by demanding safe, violence-free workplaces. Ten percent of all benefit productions around the world will be collectively donated to provide support to groups working to eradicate sexual and gender violence in places of work.

Each production will feature Eve Ensler's newest monologue that honors the sacred and valuable work of women around the world, in all its forms, by demanding safe, violence-free workplaces as well as testimonials of local women workers sharing their experience with workplace violence. By platforming these original stories and voices – the spirit of the play and the campaign comes to life, unique to each community, but in solidarity with the thousands of other productions happening simultaneously worldwide, showing the world that we stand together to end violence here and everywhere!

 

New Call to Activists to Share Their Stories Via Video Testimonials

19 years ago V-Day was founded with the mission to end violence against women and girls through art and activism. Since that moment, thousands of activists have taken to the stage, activated in their communities and on college campuses, and staged massive events in celebration and defiance, in colleges, towns, theaters, churches, state houses, across the world inviting everyone into the dialogue with a common purpose – end violence against women and girls. Through One Billion Rising, activsts have shook the earth through massive RISINGS in which over ONE BILLION people danced to end the epidemic of violence, we have shifted consciousness and broken the deadly silence, making ending sexual violence a front-page issue, never to be silenced again.

These macro moments, are the culmination of micro movements – a woman who leaves an abusive partner, a rape survivor taking the stage and telling her story after years of silence, a man whose eyes are opened to rape culture and who pledges to living a life dismantling it, a young girl watch her mother reclaim cunt and a young boy dancing in the streets – and in preparation for our 20^th year V-Day has release a call for video testimonials to be used in a forthcoming documentary about the movement. 

 

Rising Anthem "Break The Chain" – Activists have creatively used the "Break The Chain" song and choreography in their communities often as a centerpiece and rallying cry for their events.   Since it was released in late 2012, the song has been translated into well over 15 languages making the message more accessible, the song more local. Communities around the world have adapted, localised and completely re-envisioned the choreography, in many places integrating the dance into their cultures. The constantly changing choreography is shared via Youtube videos and across the OBR News & Blog.

Rising in solidarity in 2017, activists and grassroots groups will mobilize en masse with one voice to end the exploitation of women and girls.

To get involved: SIGN UP at www.onebillionrising.org LIKE US on Facebook at Facebook.com/vday FOLLOW on Twitter @VDay #RiseInSolidarity #1BillionRising #RevolutionaryLove #Unbilliondepie

FOLLOW us on Instagram @vdayorg & @one_billion_rising READ about the campaign http://www.onebillionrising.org/about/campaign/ BLOG updates from Global Coordinators and activists http://www.onebillionrising.org/blog

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About One Billion Rising: One Billion Rising is the biggest mass action to end violence against women in human history. The campaign, launched by V-Day on Valentine's Day 2012, began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS. Every February through 8 March, thousands of Risings take place in hundreds of countries across the world and within local communities – to show the world what one billion looks like and shine a light on the rampant impunity and injustice that survivors of various forms of violence face.

Through the collective efforts of activists in 200 countries, One Billion Rising has mobilised, engaged, awakened and joined people worldwide to end violence against women. It has made violence against women a global human issue not relegated to country or tribe or class or religion, and revealed it as a patriarchal mandate, present in every culture of the world. Over the last four years, as One Billion Rising has grown and the local campaigns deepened, it has also brought in economic violence and the violence of poverty, racial violence, gender violence, violence caused by corruption, occupation and aggression, violence caused by environmental disasters, climate change and environmental plunder, violence impacting women in the context of state sponsored wars, militarization, and the worsening internal and international displacement of millions of people, and violence created by capitalist greed, among so many others. Visit http://www.onebillionrising.org/.

ONE BILLION RISING: REVOLUTION is an energy, a platform, a global movement, a catalyst, a worldwide decision to end violence against women, a demand for justice, a paradigm shift, an invitation, a gathering of the ready, housed everywhere, housed in our hearts, you, us, REVOLUTION.

THE 2017 CALL TO RISE AGAINST RACIST PATRIARCHY

Let us RISE against neo-fascism, racist patriarchy, misogyny and sexism.

Rise against rape culture and all those who escalate and normalize it.

Rise against racism, discrimination and inequality.

Rise against neoliberal policies that place profit over people.

Rise against environmental plunder and Rise to protect Indigenous people, land and water.

Rise against homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, exclusion and hate.

Rise against imperialist wars, occupation, internal and international displacement and militarization.

Rise for food, land and justice.

Rise against fear mongering and division.

Rise against international capitalist and imperialist systems that perpetuate poverty.

Rise against the corporations and the rich making more profit off the backs of people's suffering.

Rise against economic, labor and sexual exploitation.

Rise against human and sex trafficking.

Rise against the violence of poverty, exploitation and marginalization.

Rise for freedom, dignity, equality and respect.

How to Rise?

We need TO DISRUPT with active and radical defiance!

Disrupt in order to INCITE, MOBILIZE, AROUSE, AWAKEN, and INSPIRE.

Disrupt in order to shake the present global structure characterized by patriarchy and capitalist greed.

Disrupt to show how strong a creative "people power" force can be.

Disrupt to keep radicalizing our creative resistance.

We need to CONNECT and expand our political consciousness.

Connect by educating ourselves on all issues.

Connect by uniting in all our struggles and fighting for ALL rights.

Connect by hearing and listening and learning.

Connect by deepening our understanding of issues within the context of race and class analysis.

Connect by joining organizations and mass actions.

Connect by organizing our communities.

COME TOGETHER.

HOLD YOUR GOVERNMENTS and other exploitative patriarchal institutions ACCOUNTABLE.

And RESIST.

Resist with Rage.

Resist with fierce hope.

Resist with unwavering insistence on a future where freedom, equality and dignity is possible.

Resist with collective defiance.

Resist all together. With and For each other.

Rise In Solidarity!

Rise For Revolution!

 

Highlights of Risings Round the World

AFGHANISTAN:

Featuring a number of women who have been successful in their fields including representatives of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs, and Disables, and Members of Parliament as well as a representative from an ethnic minority community. The event will also include performances by women rap artists who rap on social justice issues, particularly women's rights.

USA (Albany, NY):

Unchained At Last, a NJ based non profit helping women and children escape child and other forced marriages in the United States. They will be hosting an OBR Chain-In protest at the New York State House in Albany. At their Chain-In they will be wearing bridal attire to drive home the fight to end child forced marriages in the US. Rise to End Child and Forced Marriage!

AUSTRIA:

OBR events will be taking place across Austria with highlights including a major event in Vienna, and in Modling - where after community dancing in front of the town hall to dance to end violence against women, participant will go with lanterns to the Church of St Othmar to bring their inner light to light.

BANGLADESH:

OBR Bangladesh will host their annual event on the street with fire spinners, singers and dancers, before embarking on a month long campaign until March on women's issues of safety security, housing problems and women in the city not having rights as citizens of that city. A mock trial is being planned with cases of women domestic workers, migrant workers, garment workers, administration and office workers.

BYRON BAY:

Traditionally opening the 48-hour cycle of 14 February OBR events around the world, OBR Byron Bay once again will RISE by the beach at sunrise with dancing. Then they will continue onto the evening with an OBR event featuring original stories from local women at the Byron Theatre.

CAMEROON:

Activists will hold workshops and educational talks with youth from universities and civil society in conjunction with National Youth Day in the cities of Yaounde, Douala, Ngaoundere, Garoua and Bertoua. On February 14th, a major communication campaign in Doula at the "Place du Gouvernement" will be held with various signboards displaying awareness messages on women's exploitation with the support of the ministry of women and Family Promotion. An OBR protest will also take place to join the international community to stand against violence against women

CARDIFF:

An Artistic Rising "Not An Isolated Incident" where Dinah, an artist, has created artwork of small figures each representing the more than 120 women who were murdered in the UK in 2016 - where the principal suspect was a man. The OBR event aims to raise awareness on violence against women by providing space for discussion, information and debate around the artwork.

DENMARK:

OBR Denmark will host a Conversation with sexologist Julie Jeune and Master Fatman also known as duo from Radio 24syv program Croque Monsieur. The theme explores what it takes to be in a deep respectful and intimate relationship with another human being and which spans gender stereotypes, and how it affects us in our intimate relationships. Another event is also being hosted by Au Pair Network of Denmark who will be holding "Break the Chain" flash mobs.

EWL (EUROPEAN WOMEN'S LOBBY):

The European Women's Lobby (EWL) brings together the women's movement in Europe to influence the general public and European Institutions in support of women's human rights and equality between women and men. They are the largest European umbrella network of women's associations representing a total of more than 2,000 organisations in all EU Member States and Candidate Countries, as well as 19 European-wide organizations representing the diversity of women and girls in Europe. The EWL will coordinate the action of its members throughout Europe, by giving them visibility through its social media channels, its website and newsletter. EWL members from all over Europe are mobilizing and will organize an OBR action (physically or virtually) to raise awareness about sexual exploitation and foster and demonstrate the solidarity between women and between women's organizations. The EWL is launching a social media action on 14 February addressing key EU level decision makers and EU member states to take a stand against exploitation and violence against women. They will use their different social media channels and will strategically address relevant EU Decision makers at the European Parliament, European Commission, Presidency of the European Council and Member States (through their Permanent Representations to the EU).

GABON:

This is the first time OBR will be held in Gabon, and the day will include a performance event and exhibition. Popular artists will lead the event, together with the local NGO "Cris de Femmes" who work to protect rights of women and children and who run a shelter.

HONG KONG:

Thousands of migrant and domestic workers from around Asia working in Hong Kong will be Rising to end modern day slavery, social exclusion, xenophobia, discrimination and violence at work. They are Rising to call for decent wages, enough rest at work, safety and protection at work and against HK government policies that are anti-women, anti-migrant and against marginalized people.  The event will include a press conference with leaders from migrants and local groups, followed by an OBR parade around central Hong Kong with simultaneous dancing. In between speeches the OBR dances: "Break the Chain" (in English and Bahasa) and the OBR Philippine dances will be danced. There will be cultural presentations by Filipino, Sri Lankan, Nepali, Indonesian and local Hong Kong domestic worker groups. And an OBR Dance competition will also be held. Speeches will be on issues of social exclusion, human trafficking and modern-day slavery, sexual violence, discrimination, exploitation and xenophobia on immigrant women in HK, exploitation and discrimination of working women in HK, and the importance of global solidarity.

JAMAICA:

OBR Jamaica will be centering their Rising on a healing justices event entitled "Raise Ya Voice" at the Institute of Jamaica. Eve Ensler and Monique Wilson will be special guests.  The Rising will be centered on healing and solidarity to address gender based violence in Jamaica, and which will include discussions and actions on "Grounding our Healing", "Drumming our Power", "Singing our Power" and "Dancing our Resilience". Coordinated and led by Afia Walking Tree.

KOLKATA:

OBR Kolkata will highlight the key themes of Discrimination, Dehumanization and Deprivation of women and their rights. There will be OBR performances by students from schools and colleges and by NGO's. Kolkata is Rising through songs and dance to promote solidarity and to disrupt any infringement of women's rights and act together to voice the wishes of women and girls.

LATIN AMERICA:

OBR Guatemala has partnered with the International Holocaust Memorial Alliance and the Ministry of Education to organize OBR events in educational institutions all around Guatemala, Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay - where OBR dancing in schools will be highlighting the issues of violence against girls.

LONDON:

Justice For Domestic Workers group, long time OBR activists, together with their allies, will be holding an OBR event where they will be rising for rights of migrant and domestic workers and to end modern day slavery in the UK.  Additionally a group of OBR activists/artists are planning to spread messages of hope and more importantly creative resistance across high visibility areas of London - they will knit bomb, hang origami installations inside of which have instructional notes, and spray paint stenciled photos and slogans with the UK OBR hashtag, using water protective spray,  that only appears after the rain. This will be captured with photographs and posted on line from 14th-March 8th to encourage others to do the same and add more ideas.

MALDIVES:

Hope for Women will be partnering with a Sri Lankan organization on using theater to bring about behavior change using theatre for social justice. They will use this training and put together and conduct a series of theatre performances on violence against women in March. On 14 February, a number of events will be held across at least three islands of the country. There will be dancing and a number of other performances as well as messaging on sexual harassment in public spaces next to displays of women's clothing.  Video spots are being created and disseminated to create awareness on the issue of violence against women and the exploitation of women. On 17 February, violence against women will be integrated into the Friday Sermon conducted by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs

MANILA: 

Yearly, 5,000 students Rise at the all girls St. Scholastica's College - a pioneering school where girls are taught a feminist rights based curriculum. The main OBR Manila event will take place at Liwasang Bonifacio in busy downtown Manila, where 10,000 people are expected to join the Rising. Led yearly by the radical militant grassroots women's group GABRIELA, OBR Manila is made up of a task force group of urban poor women, peasant women, women workers, students, church women, artists, teachers, children's groups and migrants. The theme for this year is "Rising for Jobs, Land, Justice and Peace". Over 150 lead up events are already taking place and continue to take place all over the country before the big day on 14 February - where over 100 Rising events will take place all over the Philippines led by local and regional Gabriela chapters in all regions, in a nationally coordinated campaign.

MEXICO:

Rising Caravans will see OBR Mexico rising and dancing in all the 16 neighborhoods that form Mexico City that are considered the red areas - locations with the highest cases of human trafficking. OBR Mexico Risers will be going through the neighborhoods with musicians and dancers to highlight the issues of violence, in particular, the connection of exploitation of women and girls and trafficking. The Rising caravan is a prelude to their main Mexico rising in Cancun on 4 March where they are expecting 50,000 people.

NEW MEXICO:

This year's rising will be at the Roundhouse where activists will Rise in solidarity against the exploitation of women and girls and Mother Earth. Earlier on February 7th, there will be a campus rising at SFCC and Open Mic session at the Campus Center.

NEPAL:

Nepal is organising 4 flash mobs in different locations Nepal with their 27 project partners and civil society to spread the message of love and solidarity.  Marches will be held across Kathmandu on the issue of violence against women.

NIGERIA:

OBR Nigeria's campaign entitled "Rise Nigera" will focus on gender inequality, cultural influence, poverty, property ownership, and exploitation of women in the work place, through religion and within education institutions. They have placed particular focus on women in Chibok, an area that was disturbed by the terrorist group Boko Haram. The OBR campaign has focused on enlightening women and girls in the community to take actions,  as well as participate in counseling to heal their experiences of hurt. On February 14th, an OBR workshop will take place where lawyers and activist will discuss their focal issues, before community dancing of "Break The Chain".

POLAND:

Over 70 Rising events all across Poland. Highlights include OBR Warsaw where an all female choir have recorded an original song. Issues they are Rising for include the problem of violence on dates where 42% of women who have experienced rape have never reported it; 84% of women who have been raped knew their perpetrators; and where 84% of men who commit date rape do not define their action as rape.

PRAGUE:

OBR Prague, entitled "Dancing Against Violence" will take place at Palacky Square in Prague. As part of their campaign they will also be holding a photo campaign with photos showing slogans against gender based violence with their hashtag #OneBillionRisingPrague.

SOUTH AFRICA:

Their "Rise of the Women Leaders Voices of the Cape Flats" highlights the women leaders form the Cape flats working in the gang ridden Cape flats who are currently working with Domestic violence and Rape. Domestic Violence and Rape on the Cape flats has a direct link to Gang Violence. The launch of the campaign under the Banner of 1BILLION RISING, is to look at reducing the scale of violence against women within 10 communities on the Cape flats as part of a 3 year campaign, with advocacy and rights based programs, as well as looking at skills development and rights based training.

SWAZILAND:

Activists will hold a street festival in Manzini Town where main streets will be blocked off. The festival will encompass speeches, performances of the new and original OBR Swaziland song and will deliver demands from the informal economic sector - rural farmers, domestic workers, women informal traders and others in the informal sector. They will demand equitable participation from government programs that are meant to empower them economically but fail to do so.

SYDNEY:

ASIAN WOMEN AT WORK Inc is a network of Asian migrant women workers that empowers, resources and assists women to stand up, speak out and take collective action to advocate for their rights and develop strategies that improve women's lives, end exploitation in the workplace and home, obtain secure employment and enable them to understand and contribute to Australian society. They will be dancing and rising in Sydney From Parramatta - to Bankstown - and to Campsie calling: No To Exploitation of Women!

TOGO:

Women from the plateaux region will be invited for a 4 day stay in the big city of Atakpame where they will receive full day trainings on gender based violence, education on legal processes for justice and how to build networks of women nationwide. On 10 February, a gala night will be held with speakers - women leaders from the sectors of law, social work, feminist activism who will share their experiences. The main OBR event will then take place on 11 February with an OBR caravan across the city with all the participants, joined by high school students and women from the communities, for a public sensitization that will include sketches discussions and public dancing.

UBUD:

In November, Green School welcomed award-winning playwright, activist, and Founder of V-Day Eve Ensler and activist and Director of One Billion Rising Monique Wilson to their jungle campus.

Now, Green School's High School students are hosting this year's special Green School version of V-Day - the global movement to end violence against women and girls.

Green School's VDAY 2017 'In Solidarity' is on Friday February 14 featuring a huge One Billion Rising Dance event, workshops, a special assembly, community events and performances with all proceeds going to the Bali Street Mums Project.

UGANDA:

Building up to their OBR event, poems, art pieces, and cultural/spiritual songs were created by local artists as part of a nationwide campaign. On 14 February, at the Katwe football pitch, a march will be led by the Chief of the Uganda Police Force, the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda Prisons Service Brass bands towards the Youth Sharing Hall for the main event. Program will begin with speeches and sharings on sexual violence and trafficking in Uganda. OBR will then be launched with a grand show and performances by top bands and with cultural dancers leading the dancing.

ZAMBIA:

OBR day will begin with a 2km walk from the market to ZOCS where the main activity will be held. There will be speeches by members of Parliament and by the Zambia National Director of WLSA and will culminate with ending violence against women messages through songs and dances led by a local theatre group.

ZIMBABWE:

OBR Zimbabwe will hold an Artists Rising event using art and activism in the town of Morella exploring what solidarity means for women, and what are the forms of exploitation women are facing in terms of violence and in terms of the economic environment they are in.