V-Day Annual Report 2015 | Page 8

ONE BILLION RISING 1 in 3 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. We rise through dance to express joy and community and to 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 ROSE FOR REVOLUTION Since 2013, One Billion Rising has put out the call to overhaul, challenge and demand change in a social system that inflicts so many forms of violence and injustice on women. For the third year in a row, women, men and youth took part in the One Billion Rising campaign, leading and participating in actions, dance, political and artistic events, and rallies—or risings—in hundreds of countries on (and around) the date of 14 February. These risings highlighted, sparked and mobilized artistic and community-driven actions to bring in a new revolutionary world of equality, dignity and freedom for all women and girls. The 2015 campaign was envisioned collectively by the global coordinators at a gathering in Rome in Spring 2014. Their shared voices—from regions around the world—came to a unanimous decision to focus on revolution and change as an escalation of our demand to end violence against women and girls once and for all. One Billion Rising Revolution is an escalation of the first two stages of our campaign—One Billion Rising and One Billion Rising for Justice. We’ve danced. We’ve demanded justice. Now we are demanding CHANGES. 8