One Billion Rising Flash Mob 2013

On Valentine’s Day, V-Day is taking on its most ambitious project since its inception fifteen years ago – to organize one billion people around the globe to take rise up and stand against violence towards women and girls.

According the United Nations, one in three women on the planet will experience violence in some form in their lifetime, from beating, rape, genital mutilation, incest or sex slavery. Watch this moving, but graphic video, about One Billion Rising:

Eve Ensler, mighty warrior for women, cancer survivor, creator of the Vagina Monologues and the non-profit V-Day, has made it her personal mission to end global violence against women. She is truly one of our Voyage Vixens heroines.

V-Day Africa

Much of Ensler’s work to help women break the silence and stand against the violence they’ve experienced is focused in Africa.

V-Day’s first on-the-ground project began in Congo. Since 1996, sexual violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been used to torture and humiliate women and girls and destroy families. In 2007, V-Day and UNICEF launched the global campaign STOP RAPING OUR GREATEST RESOURCE: Power To The Women And Girls Of The Democratic Republic of Congo.

Out of this movement, City of Joy was created. City of Joy is a transformational community for Congolese women survivors of sexual violence, conceived, created and developed by the women on the ground. City of Joy supports women survivors of sexual violence to heal and provide them with opportunities to develop their leadership through innovative programming.

Where to Join One Billion Rising

On February 14th, 2013, V-Day’s 15th Anniversary, one billion women and those who love are invited to walk out, DANCE, RISE UP, AND DEMAND an end to the violence.

There are thousands of events, from flash mobs to protests, taking place around the world on February 14th. In the light of the horrific rape case in India, there’s no better time to make your presence and voice heard that violence against women must end now.

We’re joining the One Billion Rising flash mob event at the Grove in Los Angeles. Because travel is meaningless if you don’t give back to the communities who have touched your life and heart.

If dancing isn’t your thing, there are countless other events, head to the One Billion Rising website to find an event near you. And this isn’t just for women. As seen in India and neighboring countries, men are joining women in the streets protesting against rape.

Read on in the Guardian about why Eve Ensler started One Billion Rising.

Images and video courtesy of V-Day