Let’s not use the One Billion Rising for fake advocacy
The global campaign of One Billion Rising (OBR) started in 2012 with a call for a systematic change to end sexual violence against women. The term was based from the statistics released by the United Nations which says that “one in three women will be raped or beaten in their lifetime, hence, about one billion.”
OBR campaign organizers usually hold activities on Valentine’s Day.
However, the OBR was initially held on Sept. 20, 2012 through a mass global action where 5,000 organizations from 160 countries committed to support the campaign. It was in 2013 the OBR was observed on Feb. 14 with a dance as a symbol of collective strength.
Since then, more and more groups worldwide participate in OBR activities every February to promote awareness on the campaign to end violence against women.
Activities also expanded from mass action and the OBR dance to panel discussions, gatherings, art sessions, movies, among others.
The purpose of the campaign is indeed valid because even if women are more empowered today, there remain several cases of horrible abuses committed against them.
Take the case of Jullebee Ranara, who suffered unimaginably horrifying death from her young employer in Kuwait.
But there are other stories of the same extent of alarming state among the recruits of the underground movement where young female members, who are even minors, are allegedly being sexually abused by their commanders.
Former members of the underground movement have attested to these abuses and lamented such violations that the movement continues to commit.
Former members of said organization are therefore now bold in exposing these abuses while those remaining members deny these.
The organizations under the underground movement instead use every dilemma their allies get entangled into to make allegation of abuses against women.
Meanwhile, how can groups with reported abuses on female members, including minors, participate in a global campaign that seeks to provide safe spaces for women when they are choosing who to fight for and turn a blind eye on grave sexual abuses against women?
Move for genuine and sincere fight for protection of women. No to fake women’s rights advocacy. — CRISTINA CATBAGAN, President, Nagkakaisang Samahan Para sa Kapayapaan at Kaunlaran
