Starting a fresh thread to keep the momentum. We all know the horrifying accounts of women raped by gangs of men in India, and that rape is as common in all parts of the world and most cultures (in fact, no culture that is rape-free has been identified).
Please lend your support to this momentous plan for women to rise up and demand an end to violence at the hands of men, on 14 February.
One Billion Rising is publicised on he internet, and you can find what's happening near you by checking Facebook. It's growing daily, so please share this with your friends.
absent I'm glad, too, that you danced with a good friend and a good woman, albeit it in orang-utan style, in the N.E on a cold Thursday, February morning.
I had a bit of a jig with some friends here at home - both male and female. No radical feminist speeches, or any other for that matter, and probably all the better for that.
glass and I met up in Durham – once I had found the right exit from the station. We did dance, except I have arms like an orang-utan so whenever I followed the woman demonstrating at the front and flung them out sideways my fingers disappeared up glass's nostrils. Also when she did the hoppity skip bit to the left, I did it to the right and every now and then severe collisions occurred. But we had fun and laughed a lot which was joyous but did not improve our terpsichorean efforts.
Some of the speakers, notably Vera Baird, were very impressive, some were quite dull and a few were so radically feminist that I was taken aback. It wasn't a huge crowd but then what did we expect on a February Thursday in North-east? I'm glad we went and I'm glad I had a good friend and good woman to go with.
Yes well, previous story sounded like a journalist's fantasy. Pretty hard to mistake a woman with long blonde hair for a burglar one would think. sorry i forgot to activate link: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21459240
Contrary to earlier reports that he suspected she was a burglar, police have commented that this is not correct and they have had domestic violence callouts to the address previously. He's been charged with murder.
I have just returned from an exhilarating few hours in Oxford for 1 Billion (and 1 and Rising. The flash dance was well attended, with around 300 people joining in. A great atmosphere with all ages and a good sprinkling of sympathetic men too. and I'd say a successfully fun day albeit with a very serious reason behind it...
Dear ... I hope you will be attending the debate today on statutory sex and relationship counselling. As the ex-chair of governors in xxx School I have always admired the outstanding work they do there. However it is an uphill task. Many of the girls are pressured to engage in sexual activity at a very young age (12-13). Great progress has been made at Leon in terms of reducing pregnancies. If you have time you would I am sure find it very interesting to spend half an hour with the excellent school nurse who could explain to you the realities of life for girls and young women. I'd like to know whether you managed to attend the debate, or perhaps participated in one of the One Billion Rising events today.
It took me a whole 5 minutes to do this - using the website www.writetothem.com just pop in your post code and up pops the form for emailing your MP.
See all the flash mob dances on One Billion Rising's Facebook page. Great one on Main Beach, Byron Bay, Australia. Women across the globe turning up wearing red and pink, and inspiring everyone to take part. It's contagious!
Enjoy all you dancers and I hope it is a huge success. And that the rain stops for outdoor events. Those of us who are not can all do something. I am going to write to my MP.