Amnesty is once again a sponsoring partner of One Billion Rising, V-DAY’s campaign to mobilize women and men across the world to demonstrate their collective strength and solidarity in support of justice and the elimination of violence against women and girls.
Violence against women is one of the world’s most pervasive violations of human rights. One out of every three women worldwide will experience physical or sexual abuse during her lifetime and in some countries, rates of violence reach as high as 70 percent.
In the United States, the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) makes ending violence against women and girls a top diplomatic and foreign assistance priority by supporting measures to prevent violence, support and protect survivors and bring perpetrators to justice. The bill recognizes violence against women and girls as a global issue and works to end the violence. Here are the stories of real women around the world to inspire you to RISE and DEMAND an end to violence.
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SOUTH AFRICA: Noxolo Nogwaza
In 2011, twenty-four year old Noxolo Nogwaza was murdered in South Africa while on her way home from a night out with friends. Her attacker(s) raped, repeatedly beat and stabbed the young lesbian woman, apparently because of her sexual orientation, before dumping her body in a drainage ditch. Demand justice for Noxolo Nogwaza and help bring an end to the climate of fear for the LGBTI community in South Africa! Take action: amnestyusa.org/noxolo
GUATEMALA: María Isabel Franco
María Isabel Franco was 15 years old when she was raped and brutally killed in December 2001. Since her death, her mother Rosa has been working for justice, despite receiving death threats from unknown people on several occasions. Endemic levels of violence against women coupled with widespread impunity send the message to perpetrators that crimes against women go unpunished in Guatemala. Raise your voice for María and all Guatemalan women and girls. Take action: amnestyusa.org/maria
Join us on Friday, February 14th in honor of these women and to raise our voices to stand as one with the estimated one billion women and girls – and men and boys – whose lives have been touched by violence. This year Amnesty is rising for justice and demanding an end to gender based violence around the world through passage of the International Violence against women act (I-VAWA). Let’s rise up as one billion bodies to change the current status quo and take action to end violence against women.
We are ready to “dance, shake the world and shift the energy” to empower women and girls and break the cycle of violence. WALK OUT, DANCE, and RISE UP wherever you are to show the world that the violence Must. Stop. Now. Go to our website to find an event near you!