Julianna Rauf ’19
To see more photos from the event, click here.
On Wednesday, February 14, members of the Siena community gathered in the Sarazen Student Union in solidarity against the exploitation of women, a topic that has been the focus of the international movement One Billion Rising, started on Valentine’s Day, 2012.
One Billion Rising is a mass action to end violence against women. One of the biggest motivations for their existence is the staggering statistic that “1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than one billion women and girls." One Billion Rising seeks to draw attention to this horrific truth, bringing awareness to the fact that people need to fight for justice and equality to make a difference and see a positive change. These problems sadly exist, and without each other’s efforts, they will continue to.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that one in three women will be raped or beaten in their lifetime," said Emily Radigan ’19. "This year's theme, solidarity to end exploitation, is particularly close to my heart because I believe that we can only address these issues through coalitional work that recognizes and respects different perspectives and experiences while still working together toward a common goal.”
Led by women’s rights activists from around the globe, people from countries around the world gathered on Valentine’s Day to sing and dance in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault and relationship violence. The day consisted of the I Rise dance, guest speakers, information tables, and pizza. A creative event that incorporates the arts and cultural exchange, it has been the source of much attention due to its many moving outcomes, such as the Siena College Rises video from 2016. At this year’s event, there was an “I Rise…” table where Saints took photos of themselves holding signs such as "I Rise for Women's Empowerment" or "I Rise against Racism." Siena plans on making a digital collage of these photos.
“I thought this event was extremely powerful, with various speakers from organizations from the Capital region and poetry readings about domestic violence and violence against women,” said Olivia Fleming ’19. “Everyone who attended this event had one goal in mind – raise awareness and work to end violence against the one billion women affected worldwide.”
For more information on One Billion Rising, click here.
Siena College and One Billion Rising would like to thank their on-campus sponsors who helped to make this movement possible:
- The Anti-Violence Task Force
- Title IX and EEO Office
- Sr. Thea Bowman Center for Women
- Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy
- Pride-GSA
- Black and Latino Student Union
- Latinos Unificado Nuestra America (LUNA)
- Muslim Students Association
- SOLID
- Class of 2020
- Class of 2021
- Her Campus Siena
- Residence Hall Association
