On 14 February 2013, people in 207 countries rose and danced to demand an end to violence against women and girls as part of the One Billion Rising movement. Many Soroptimist International clubs – including those in Belgium, Canada, India, Turkey, UK and USA – took part in this global initiative (see below for links to find out more). 

For one club, SI Pune Metro East in India, One Billion Rising inspired a programme of action to change attitudes and prevent gender-violence among a new generation, through an outreach programme with schools. Nisha Ghosh, Press and Publicity Officer for SI
Pune Metro East introduces Project One Billion Rise in this special SoroptiVoice blog.

The Chinese say that a journey of thousand
miles begins with the first step.” Very encouraging indeed , when you have to
reach a colossal  number of one billion – and
we had already done 3985! Yes, I’m talking of the One Billion Rising Movement
and 3985 is the number our Club has clocked in reaching a young audience
of school children, in a short span of  8
months. 3985 young minds were touched in a hope that their understanding has
changed.

At SI Pune Metro East (SIPME), we were embittered and angry, determined to act after the tragic Delhi Gang Rape of Dec 2012. Then came the
inspirational clarion call of the One Billion Rising on V-Day. SIPME Members gathered at a small café to mark the day. And no we did not
dance. We plotted and planned and Project One Billon Rise took shape.

 

Eve Ensler’s Movement has caught
the imagination of people in many countries – it is indeed borderless. But the movement drew flak – it did not touch the root cause of
violence and it insulted the pain that abusive women felt in asking them to
rise above it.   Much more, by calling for
dance, the movement ignored women in conservative societies- or even the
cultural colouring of different communities, though it did adapt to local
social condition. In Mumbai- it was a Bollywood dance show with stars in the
guise of One Billion Rising. ! 

SIPME wanted to rise – rise not to dance
but to connect with the generation that could herald change. Rise as we
understood the pandemic nature of violence, rise because we wanted our audience
to be able to tell their stories, rise because we wanted to break the silence
around gender and violence.

The convenor of our existing Violence and
Conflict Resolution was sure that our contribution would be in reaching children – and
to make a radical mind shift – change a mindset that has been passed down from
one generation to another. Change the patriarchal hold, and gently impress
gender equity along with equality. We held the belief that children learn
quickly and before their minds are conditioned by prevailing mores our project
would sensitize them to gender issues.

 

It was tough to break through to schools-
no time, not necessary, parents will object, exams coming up, students
practising for sport/annual day were just some of the reasons we got. But we
didn’t give up and members with connections at schools worked overtime to make
an entry.

Before that ten members attended a workshop conducted by Dr Radhika
Rawat a counsellor who works with gender and with child abuse. AKS, our partner
NGO, gave support and assurance. Ten women who had never before counselled on
such topics – rose to take on schools. Meanwhile at the club members put
together presentations with different focus. Three modules ‘Stay Safe’, ‘Growing
Up-Adolescence’, and ‘Gender Sensitization’ finally crystalized. ‘Stay Safe’
was primarily about good touch bad touch and aimed at young students of grades
3, 4, and 5. Middle school grades were addressed with the Adolescence module
and 9th grade onwards we discussed gender sensitization. More ideas poured in
and we fine-tuned the presentations adding a film clip here, an animation
there. Women UN Report Network’s film Women was added to the Gender sensitization
module. Our excitement, once we were trained and rehearsed, was palpable. 

 

We also prepared modules for teachers and
parents, which in one school we delivered to a thousand strong PTA. The take
home message was ‘listen to your child’. Education in India prepares
children for academics, exams competitions but life-skills education is sadly
lacking. Besides, culturally, gender, sex, physical change is not discussed by
mothers – so girls don’t even know why and how menstruations happen. Yes all
this is changing and parents are coming forth. Our exchange with them was to
reinforce and take forward that change.

This V-Day Eve Ensler calls again to rise
for justice- all forms of it. At SIPME we believe just as you walk for a cause,
or run for charity, you could dance to and rise to dissolve
barrier borders of all kinds in unison for a borderless global shame. SIPME knows that it’s a slow ride to the big number, but we’ve reached 3985 and we will get there, when one billion young girls and
boys will rise to actually dance.

See Soroptimists in Action – One Billion Rising 2013

USA – SI of Oak Harbor (video)

Belgium – SI Union of Belgium (video)

India – SI Kodaikanal