The whole world is dancing against sexual violence - dance with us!

Global problem - global dance

One Billion Rising? ("a billion rise?") is the biggest movement in the world? and it shows how powerful women are when they band together. The campaign draws attention to violence against women and girls around the world and aims to end it.

The global action was launched in 2013 by American activist Eve Ensler (known for her "The Vagina Monologues"), who herself was raped by her father as a child.

As a result, she is not alone: ​​Every third woman is beaten, raped, abused in her life - that's about one billion (? One billion?) Women and girls.

On February 14, 2013, people around the globe danced against violence for the first time. Thousands of flash mobs in hundreds of countries have since then taken place on Valentine's Day every year - to show just how many a billion women are, and to shed light on the abuses that so often happen behind closed doors.

The global nature of the action shows that violence against women is a global problem? regardless of nationality, social class and religion.



The trailer for the short film "One Billion Rising"

"Dancing is solemn, dangerous, joyful and irritating?

Why is there a dance when it comes to such a sad topic? Eve Ensler said in an interview with ChroniquesDuVasteMonde.com: "What's so special about dancing is that it's both solemn and dangerous, joyful and irritating. That makes it the perfect female protest form. I would even say that dancing is one of the most powerful things we can do.?

Dancing has made a lot of difference: • In many countries, One Billion Rising has led to violent crime on women being brought to justice for the first time. For example, in Somalia, women first took to the streets together for the first time, and now more and more rape is reported there, Ensler said.



What's going on in Germany, where can I dance?

Flash mob-like women and men dance on Sunday, February 14, in more than 250 countries to the song "Break the Chain." For this, New York dancers put together their own choreography (see Youtube), which will again be danced by people all over the world this year.

In Germany alone, over 130 cities participate in the campaign. On the Facebook page of One Billion Rising Germany you can find out what is planned where. The action card on www.onebillionrising.de is also clearly arranged.

About the initiator

Eve Ensler

© Adil Razali

The initiator of the international flash mob is the author and activist Eve Ensler. Violence against women is one of the New Yorker's life themes, which became world famous with the play "The Vagina Monologues".

Ensler founded the organization "V-Day", which has been promoting women's programs worldwide for years. In the Congo, she built a village for raped women, where they can find new strength. With the same energy she turned the idea "One Billion Rising" into a global project. She produced videos, her own song, and traveled around the world to attract supporters and publicize the action.



Alexandra Waterbury on Sexual Exploitation in Ballet | The Scarlet Letter Reports (March 2024).



Eve Ensler, Valentine's Day, Germany, One Billion Rising, V-Day, Violence Against Women, Eve Ensler, Feminism, Demonstration, Flashmob