University to host annual One Billion Rising for Justice (VDay) event
People of Preston are being invited to stand in solidarity and demand an end to violence against women.
The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) will host its annual One Billion Rising for Justice (VDay) event on Wednesday 14 February as part of a global campaign to end violence against women and girls around the world.
From 11.30am – 12.30pm in the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre, visitors are invited to dance together. Instructor and World Salsa Dance champion Phil Kaila and Salsa Northwest will lead the dance accompanied by music.
The worldwide event takes place on the same day every year in hundreds of countries. It calls for people to gather safely outside places where women are entitled to justice such as police stations, government offices, places of worship, education or simply in public places where women deserve to feel safe.
"It is the biggest mass action in human history and we are proud to play a part and show the world that Preston stands against violence towards women and girls."
This year’s One Billion Rising for Justice campaign focuses on solidarity. It calls for people to rise, resist and unite to protest not only again violence towards woman and girls but also to address wider issues such as worker exploitation, poverty, racism, refugee rights and transphobia. The event also highlights the shocking statistic that one in three women will be beaten or raped in their lifetime. With the world population at seven billion, this adds up to more than one billion women and girls.
Nigel Farnsworth, UCLan Creative Communities Group (CCG) manager, is organising the gathering. He commented: “This is the sixth year that the CCG has organised a One Billon Rising event, which allows the local community to join in a global gathering and make their voices heard. It is the biggest mass action in human history and we are proud to play a part and show the world that Preston stands against violence towards women and girls.”
Preston Mayor Councillor Brian Rollo and Julie Ward, Labour NW MEP and member of the European Parliament’s Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee, will both attend.
"One Billion Rising is an action led by women for women but we need our feminist men to support us. Whatever your gender please come and join us in our dance of solidarity and help end violence against women and girls."
Julie said: “February 14 marks an important day in the calendar for everyone who is trying to end the global epidemic of violence against women and girls. It is the day when a billion or more of us dance in a demonstration of feminist solidarity, a dance of defiance against the misogyny that sadly continues to prevail in so many countries and areas of life. From the abhorrent practice of FGM to the recent revelations of sexual harassment perpetrated by the rich and famous, the scourge of gender-based violence is a stain on society.
“One Billion Rising is an action led by women for women but we need our feminist men to support us. Whatever your gender please come and join us in our dance of solidarity and help end violence against women and girls.”
People are free to turn up on the day at the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre on UCLan’s Preston Campus. Anyone wanting more information can contact Nigel Farnworth on NFarnworth4@uclan.ac.uk or by calling 01772 894707.
The event will be filmed and then shared on the One Billion Rising website along with others from across the world.