Activists Mobilize for One Billion Rising: Revolution Campaign

On February 7 in New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom, One Billion Rising will host a kickoff event for their February 14 week of action to end violence against women and girls. This annual event is launching its third year with One Billion Rising: Revolution, a new escalation that calls for a radical shift to end the global epidemic of abuse that women face worldwide.

"One in three women across the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. That's one billion women and girls. Every February, we rise -- in hundreds of countries across the world -- to show our local communities and the world what one billion looks like and shine a light on the rampant impunity and injustice that survivors most often face," said Eve Ensler, playwright, activist and founder of One Billion Rising. "We rise through dance to express joy and community and celebrate the fact that we have not been defeated by this violence. We rise to show we are determined to create a new kind of consciousness -- one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable. This year we are rising for Revolution."

The one-night-only benefit on February 7 will bring together a groundbreaking group of performers and artists including: Tony Award-winning playwright Eve Ensler; actress and V-Day Board member Thandie Newton; actress Kathy Najimy; "Orange is the New Black" actress and long-time V-Day activist Emma Myles; actor, comedian, and activist Rosie O'Donnell; Brooklyn-based artist Swoon; singer-songwriter Maya Azucena; international music group Batala NYC; activist musical group BETTY; band Y3K; multimedia & spoken word duo Climbing PoeTree; City of Joy and V-Day Congo Director Christine Schuler Deschryver (Congo); poet and spoken word performer Asali Devan Ecclesiastes; poet and vocalist Gina Loring; anti-FGM women & girls' rights activist Agnes Pareyio (Kenya); poet, singer, and activist Sunni Patterson; theatrical dance & extreme action company STREB; beat boxer, actor, and youth activist Karabo Tshikube (South Africa); artist and performance poet Jaha Zainabu; women's rights activist Zoya (Afghanistan); One Billion Rising Director Monique Wilson (Manila and Singapore); and others to be announced.

Since 2013, activists in more than 200 countries have staged RISING events, bringing the issue front and center, garnering worldwide media attention, changing laws, and demanding justice and an end to the rampant impunity that women survivors of gender based violence face. Thousands of events will take place around the world the week of February 14. The scope and the scale of the activities are vast and yet specific.

Local One Billion Rising activists reflect the violence against women issues that concern them locally, while networking across groups and networks in their communities and leveraging the global nature of the campaign. Actions are scheduled in 34 Afghan provinces, including an event for 1,000 at Kabul University, to VetsRising, a campaign organized by U.S. military veterans who have experienced MST (military sexual trauma) to Rise for the Raise, seeking fair wages.

Actions will escalate on the One Billion Rising website, which acts as a global hub for the risings and where people are encouraged to share their stories of revolution in the fight to eradicate violence against women. Answering the call for videos, blog posts, photos and art has been a range of artists, scholars, musicians, and poets. The site features "My Revolution" statements from actor and V-Day Board member Thandie Newton, feminist scholar Zillah Eisenstein, Climbing PoeTree, Asali Devan Ecclesiastes, as well as activists and local organizers. Ensler's monologue inspired by the campaign is entitled "My Revolution Lives In This Body."

This year, the One Billion Rising leaders are also sharing their stories in a joint series with the Huffington Post, entitled "Building to One Billion: Revolution." Writers for the series include Khushi Kabir (Bangladesh), Sohini Chakraborty (India), Agnes Pareyio (Kenya), Rosi Orozco (Mexico) Jessica Montoya (Santa Fe) and Nakima Jones (United States).

Back by popular demand, "Break the Chain" will remain the official anthem of One Billion Rising. The song was written and produced by legendary music dynamo Tena Clark, and choreographed by dance icon and award winning choreographer Debbie Allen, and is used in One Billion Rising protests, social justice actions, and risings worldwide. Activists around the world have translated the song into multiple languages and local artists have recorded it as seen in the short film One Billion Rising for Justice.