UCF Victim Services on Friday will host the global revolution One Billion Rising, where female survivors of violence and their supporters join together to break their silence.
The initiative– which will start at noon Feb. 12 on the Student Union Patio Stage– encourages those who were affected by violence to speak out about what they went through, whether it is through dance, poetry, art, marches, ritual or whatever feels right to them.
“One Billion Rising wants one billion people from around the world to rise up and demand an end to violence against women,” said Lauren Portal, a Victim Advocate for UCF Victim Services. “UCF is proud to be part of that movement. UCF is a part of the campaign because we can have an impact on creating a violence-free community.”
Based on the staggering statistics that one in every three women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime, the One Billion Rising campaign started on Valentine’s Day in 2012 and is held every year in February.
“It is centered around Valentine’s Day because that is when V-day was founded,” explained Portal. “V-day is an activist movement to end violence against women and girls. They tackle issues such as rape and battery of women, incest, female genital mutilation and trafficking of female sex slaves. That movement is the one that created One Billion Rising.”
This year’s event will bring national and international attention to these women’s issues and call for people to rise up for others, not just for themselves.
For more information on about One Billion Rising and V-day, contact Portal at lauren.portal@ucf.edu.