The dancing demonstrators of One Billion Rising

Streets, squares and parks throughout the world have been reverberating to millions of feet dancing to the same tune. It is all part of the ‘One Billion Rising’ campaign to end violence against women. In Istanbul, some of the dancing demonstrators wore cosmetic ‘bruises’ that drove the message home. Once the music stops it is estimated almost 200 countries will have taken part. In India there is still shock and anger after the gang rape and murder of a 23 year old student late last year. New Delhi student, 17 year old Priya Rajender Prasad said: “All this violence against women, discrimination between men and women must be stopped. Every woman has the right to live, and to live with dignity.” The dancing demonstration is the brainchild of the playwright and campaigner Eve Ensler, prompted by a shocking statistic that one in three women will be the subject of violence at some point in her life. That is a billion people.