One Billion Rising, a global movement organised as part of the Valentine’s Day campaign to end violence against women and girls, saw its 12th Kolkata edition taking place in Dhakuria’s Tanupukur on February 9. Playwright and activist Eve Ensler is credited to have started the movement in 1998.
The global version of the movement usually involves some awareness activity taking place on February 14 every year with women coming out in large numbers to voice their concerns and raise awareness against violence.
Twelve organisations and one institution took part in the event at Dhakuria
The event was organised by a conglomerate of 12 organisations — Swayam, Azad Foundation, Parichiti, Ankur Kala, Uddami India Foundation. Udayani Social Action Forum, Equidiversity Foundation, Kolkata Sanved, Talash Agamee, Institute for Social Work and Lake Gardens Women Children Development Centre — that work for women’s welfare and rights, victims of discrimination and gender-based violence. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis College was one institution that joined hands with these organisations to make the One Billion Rising event a success.
Each organisation performed either a dance or a song or recitation or skits that all carried different social messages and drew appreciation from the audience. Using art as a form of protest, the performers carried forward great meaning through their stage presence while addressing varied issues like caste-based discrimination, violence and inequality among other topics of discussion.
An enthralled audience sat through the programme and applauded each performer despite the hot afternoon sun.
An enthralled audience sat through the programme and applauded each performer despite the hot afternoon sun. Speaking on the day’s significance, Soumi from Swayam said: “It is a day when women celebrate freedom, freedom of their own bodies, freedom for their rights and practising their rights and reclaiming their spaces. In today’s context, this is important because fighting for freedom is getting difficult by the day. While there are constitutional rights that maintain that all men and women are seen as equal in the eyes of the law, using the machinery of the judicial system feels like a burden for women fighting for their basic rights, fighting for their body and several times, it feels like harassment to go through each and every step. While there are laws in place, it still feels like men have it easier and when women go to take action, they are looked down upon in some part of the processes.”
Nearly 200 women took an oath and read out the Preamble of the Constitution together
Over 200 women from various sections of the society and age groups attended the event. One Billion Rising 2024 came to a close with the entire gathering taking an oath together to the Preamble to the Constitution, for the first time in the 12 years of One Billion Rising movement in Kolkata. It was meant to remind every woman of her rights based on the Constitution and to show that women are supposed to have equal rights and opportunities without facing discrimination in any form.
Simon Evans from Scotland was present at the event and was pleased to see every participant’s energy in raising their voice for awareness. Evans works with Ankur Kala and teaches English to women who are victims of violence. He told My Kolkata how he was inspired by the bravery of these women who dared to step forward and raise their voice against oppression. “It is a pleasure to be able to help some of these women, teaching them English is a way to empower them. They are all very keen learners and we take great pride in knowing them. When they share their struggles, it gives us even more pride to see how far they have come in being able to rise against oppression.”