V-Day: One billion to 'protest' crime against women

Bangalore, Feb 8: Violence against

is a

that the world has known since time immemorial. But can this continue for eternity? Recently, India saw a massive protest against a brutal rape and assault of a young man in Delhi which eventually resulted in her death. The ruling class was rattled by the protests and was forced to take stringent measures to curb the crime against women. But still it hasn't abated.

[See: www.onebillionrising.org]

Women continue to be victimised in domestic violence, rapes, harassment in public spaces and are also considered soft targets during wars and armed conflicts. Female foeticide continues to be a major threat to our society even though we make massive advancements in other fields.

On Thursday, on the occasion of Valentine's Day, One Billion Risingwill call for a revolution by inviting one billion women and those who love them to walk out, dance, rise up and demand an end to the cycle of violence.

The One Billion Rising will be a global phenomenon and feature participants from 182 countries, including India. In Bangalore, the grand occasion will be observed at Manjula Mantapa (the park entrance from Vittal Malya Road) in Cubbon Park at 2.30 pm to celebrate women's spaces in the private and public sphere through dance, music, poetry and other creative expressions to add to the voice that will be heard across the world ENOUGH IS ENOUGH - NO MORE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN!

Eve Ensler, author of play The Vagina Monologues who is behind the concept, said it would be a global strike call against violence. The campaign has been joined by several organisations and individuals from across the globe.

According to a report published in The Telegraph, UK, on Thursday, Ensler said that societies were now witnessing an unprecedented level of energy to protest. She appealed to men and women ahead of the rising and expressed hope that the action would successfully end violence against women.

She said through the global outcry, the right-thinking human beings would "up the stakes" to declare that it would not be tolerated anymore.

According to the report, Ensler, who has spent 15 years working on the annual V-Day charity, she said women affected by issues ranging from the Delhi gangrape to the US election, now had a fresh energy to fight back.

OneIndia News