One Billion Rising Program

ONE BILLION RISING 2024 theme and campaign: RISE For Freedom & Be The New World addresses the devastating consequences of the ongoing vicious systems of patriarchy, imperialism, capitalism and racism in the world today and the destructive battle for power fought over women’s bodies and the body of the earth.

Created by a community of over 40 One Billion Rising coordinators located across the globe, the 2024 campaign urges communities worldwide to utilize art and activism, creative resistance events and gatherings, both online and offline, to demand an end to violence against women, gender expansive people, girls and the planet and to shine a light on the rampant impunity and injustice that survivors most often face.

One Billion Rising is an invitation pure and simple. It is an energy and movement that belongs to everyone. It takes place where local women and men have decided to organize a rising for themselves and their community. The millions of women, men and children who take part every year do so because they have their own agency, and they choose to. They choose it because they feel this model inspires and amplifies energy and creativity for their local struggles, and because it offers global solidarity.

V-Day, the global activist movement to end violence against women, gender expansive people and the Earth, was born on 14 February 1998. For the past 25 years, tens of thousands of V-Day events have taken place all over the world, raising funds and awareness for local groups and organizations working to end violence against women and girls. At V-Day, we have the outrageous idea that we can end violence against women, and though we have seen many victories over the years, the violence is still prevalent and impunity still reigns. One Billion Rising is a necessary escalation of our global efforts to end the violence.

Many women across the world see dance as liberating and empowering. Women who experience gender violence often hate their bodies and live outside them. The act of public dance can be part of a process of reclaiming and reentering their bodies. It can be a way of discarding shame and fear and coming back into their sexuality and power. It also provides a disruptive, joyful and artistic way of resistance. It allows us to go further, to include everyone, to tap into a revolutionary and poetic energy which is inviting us to take the lid off the patriarchal container releasing more of our wisdom, our self love, our sexuality, our compassion and fierceness. Dancing is defiance.

People from all across the globe – women, gender expansive people, men, youth – from migrants, students, farmers, domestic workers, indigenous women, women workers, teachers, artists, activists, local government officials, and others – have danced in Risings around the world as part of One Billion Rising.

Fueled by dance – One Billion Rising has had a remarkable impact.

like every year this year also LGWCDC participated in the program held in Kolkata along with many other NGOS. LGWCDC also set up a stall of handicraft products made by women of self help group.