A mass global action, One Billion Rising, which aims to end violence against women and children, is planned for V-Day on February 14, Main Beach, Byron Bay from 7am.
Co-organiser, Zenith Virago, says the ‘V’ stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina.
She says, ‘The truth is shocking – according to the United Nations, one in every three women will be physically or sexually abused in her lifetime – that’s more than one billion women across the world’.
‘Every February, women and others rise in countries across the world to show our local communities and the world what one billion people looks like.
‘We rise through dance to express joy and community, and celebrate the fact we have not been defeated by this increasing 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.
‘Since 1998, the V-Day movement has raised over US$100 million.
‘V-Day activists donate 100 per cent of their proceeds to groups in their community who are doing anti-violence work at rape crisis centres and domestic violence shelters; groups working with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women; with refugee women and with women affected by climate catastrophe’.
For more information, visit: www.onebillionrising.org and www.vday.org.
Fundraisers
Meanwhile, the Vagina Conversations fundraiser, supporting Byron and Tweed Shire women escaping intimate partner and family violence, will be held at the Byron Theatre (February 14, 15) and Murwillumbah’s Regent Theatre (February 16).
Virago says Vagina Conversations ‘is a more contemporary evolution of the Vagina Monologues, bringing a courageous fresh local flavour to our community’.
‘After sold out performances seven years running, this informal, diverse collective of some of Byron Shire’s powerful, creative women and non-binary people with vaginas, are presenting their pieces, some are personal or professional or political stories which inspire and educate, they empower and support.
‘It’s funny, sad, courageous, challenging and celebratory’.
She adds, ‘Approximately 100 women were murdered in the last 12 months by their intimate partners’.
