One Billion Rising

Origins and development

The initiative was begun by playwright and activist Eve Ensler who framed the project as a mass, synchronized rising on a single day each year to demand justice and safety. The first events were staged on February 14, 2012, chosen deliberately to coincide with Valentine’s Day as a counterpoint to narratives that trivialize or normalize abuse. Since then, the campaign has recurred annually and inspired local and regional variations around the world.

Activities and formats

Events organized under the One Billion Rising banner vary widely but commonly include:

• Mass public dances and flash mobs that symbolize solidarity and refusal to accept violence.
• Rallies, marches and vigils to demand legal and social change.
• Workshops, performances, and art projects that center survivors’ voices.
• Campaigns aimed at policy reform, survivor services, and prevention education.

Goals and issues addressed

The campaign seeks both immediate and long-term change: to end intimate partner violence and rape, to prevent sexual violence, to improve access to justice and support for survivors, and to alter social norms that condone or ignore abuse. It emphasizes grassroots organizing and collaboration among feminist groups, human rights organizations, and communities affected by violence.

Impact, reception and distinctions

One Billion Rising has drawn attention to gender-based violence through visible, creative public actions and has helped generate local policy discussions and community networks. It is a movement rather than a single organization: activities are often decentralized, reflecting local priorities and tactics. Critics and observers have sometimes debated the movement’s long-term policy impact and the ways in which awareness events translate into systemic change, but many participants report that the public acts of solidarity have important symbolic and mobilizing effects.

How to learn more or get involved

Individuals who wish to join or support One Billion Rising can look for local events, partner with service organizations that aid survivors, or use creative forms of protest and education to keep the issue visible. For background on the movement’s founder and origins see Eve Ensler, and for definitions and data about the problems the campaign confronts see resources on rape and sexual violence in international reports and public-health summaries.