One in every three women on the planet will be physically or sexually abused in her lifetime. It is a shocking statistic that has spawned a one-billion strong global movement to end violence against women and girls.

On 14 February 2014, One Billion Rising took the world by storm. From India to Canada, Russia to Liberia, women’s advocates – men and women alike – joined in solidarity in 197 countries, holding concerts, dance parties, dramas and more, to stamp out violence against women and girls. 

“Those who joined the Billion Rising Campaign came together to call for love that does not hurt, for an end to abuse and violence against women,” said Elena Gromme, UN Women Programme Officer and an organizer behind the event in Liberia. “It was a moment to celebrate, to dance and to show the world the power of global solidarity in demanding justice for all women and girls, to be able to end the violence against them.”

In Monrovia, a dance party took over the streets from JFK Medical Center to William V.S. Tubman High School. There, the party culminated in live musical performances by the likes of local stars DenG, Sweetz, Cypha, DJ Blue, Oneal Roberts Daniel Ankrah, and Vivian Akoto of “Star is Born” fame. Guests were greeted outside the event by members of World Merit Liberia, who were literally jumping for justice in their One Billion Rising T-shirts, and who were all, admirably, young men. 

The following day at Terra Cotta restaurant, volunteers read a number of non-fictional and touching monologues about sexual abuse in support of One Billion Rising. The event was inspired by One Billion Rising founder Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues,” a play featuring similar monologues that has generated over US$ 75 million for women’s anti-violence groups around the world thus far. 

Mary Tweh was one of the girls dancing in the aisles as performer after performer took to the stage. “It is too many of us. We must do something,” she said of the statistics. “We are here to dance together and to show that we want change.”

The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, was also one of the one billion rising for justice around the world.
“I celebrate V-Day by renewing my pledge to campaign to end the violence that affects an estimated one in three women worldwide,” he says. “I laud leaders improving laws and changing mindsets. We must demand justice.”