Imagine all women leaving their workplaces or homes at the same time and taking to the streets to dance. They do all this to draw attention to violence against women. That is the vision of "One Billion Rising".

The day of action against violence against women took place worldwide on February 14.

"The biggest feminist tsunami that has ever happened!"
Comment - Platform 20000women

In Linz, many women and men met at 12.00 noon on Martin-Luther-Platz and danced against violence against women.

One Billion Rising in Linz on Dorf-TV

"One Billion" by Berlin hip-hop artist sookee

"A beautiful video from Byron Bay, Australia!"

"Watch videos from around the world - www.onebillionrising.org

"Article - diestandard.at from January 30, 2013

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Points of criticism - which should be considered in this context and forwarded to the organizers next year:

Statement by maiz:

We at maiz are not taking part in the action in Linz! The reason for this is that we have received information today (in addition to the criticism already expressed, see below) that the "One Billion rising" movement is being shaped and instrumentalized internationally by abolitionist approaches.

By way of explanation, the abolitionist approach to sex work defines the activity itself as sexual exploitation and an infringement of human rights. The conflation of sex work, trafficking and violence, which has become commonplace thanks to abolitionist attitudes, must be reconsidered with regard to the self-determination of sex workers. The problems of exploitation, stigmatization and criminalization are not unique to this field of employment, but they can only be combated by self-organizations that stand up for the rights of sex workers and simultaneous decriminalization at the legal level. Because, in the words of the Global Network for Sex Work Projects: "only rights can stop the wrongs!" (Mineva, 2012: "http://ausreisser.mur.at/ausgaben/44-jaen-feb-11/sexarbeit)
Experience has shown that anti-prostitution and anti-migration policies have a negative impact on the rights of sex workers. Neither the non-recognition nor the prohibition of sex work has reduced the growth of the sector. A moralistic view of sex work merely ignores the reality of many women's (as well as transgender and men's) lives. Repressive policies on migration, public order and morality have led to greater vulnerability of sex workers, with all its negative consequences for their health and safety (Caixeta, 2011: http://versorgerin.stwst.at/artikel/nov-22-2011-1455/jenseits-eines-voyeuristischen-blicks).

We will not allow ourselves to be instrumentalized!

With feminist, militant, rebellious greetings

The maiz women

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Statement by GLADT e.V.
on "One Billion rising", Berlin, February 07

On 14 February 2013, V-Day, an international campaign against violence against women* and girls*, is calling on people worldwide to take a stand against sexualized violence against women* and to take action with "One Billion Rising"

According to data from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ), one in four women in Germany experience sexualized violence.
Rapes are rarely reported and even more rarely lead to a conviction, as was shown in September last year. The perpetrator was not convicted because the 15-year-old had not "defended herself sufficiently". In addition, two Catholic hospitals recently denied treatment to a rape victim
denied treatment. Against the backdrop of these events and the everyday trivialization of sexualized violence with an accompanying perpetrator-victim reversal, initiatives such as "One Billion Rising" are only to be welcomed

A video by initiator Eve Ensler can be seen on the campaign's homepage, which is intended to draw attention to the problem.
However, all racist stereotypes are reproduced:
Black women and women of color are exclusively those who experience sexualized violence and Black men / men of color are exclusively those who perpetrate it. For example, a Black woman is shown being raped by a Black man. This perpetuates racist stereotypes that have a long
Tradition, such as that of the "sexually libidinous" Black man.

The only Muslim woman who appears in the video is in the desert and wears a headscarf; her face can be seen cauterized by acid. Here, too, all anti-Muslim resentments are used: Muslim women are oppressed by their husbands, stoned to death - or have acid poured over their faces. The desert setting underlines existing images of supposed underdevelopment that have been attributed to people of the Muslim faith since the beginning of colonization.

The only white woman shown in the video is in a modern office and is grabbed by the neck by her boss, which is certainly also violent, but cannot be compared to the other incidents. In addition, this scene also stereotypically
reproduces the supposed class affiliations and occupational fields reproduced: White women sit neatly dressed in the open-plan office, while Black women fetch water and Women of Color walk in the desert with nothing to do...

Violence against women* and the sexism on which it is based is a problem that is a worldwide phenomenon and not one that only affects countries in the Global South. Sexualized violence is definitely not exclusively perpetrated by Black men/men of color. Unfortunately, this is implied in the video. In addition, the experiences and realities of lesbian, bisexual, queer women* and trans* people are omitted - they are at least not explicitly mentioned in Eve Ensler's short film. The same applies to women* with disabilities.

Women* experience and survive sexualized violence. However, we are not all the same: some of us also experience racism, classism, homophobia, transphobia and other forms of discrimination. We very much welcome the global call for action against sexualized violence, combating sexism is an important step in
to abolish all forms of oppression. But: sexism cannot be fought with racism, because:
"Since all forms of oppression are linked in our society because they are supported by similar institutional and social structures, one system cannot be eradicated while the others remain intact (hooks 1984:37).

(Since all forms of oppression are linked in our society because they are supported by similar institutional and social structures, one system cannot be eradicated while the others remain intact while all others remain intact) It is interesting and important for us how you deal with our criticism. If we assume that this campaign will take place annually, the idea that racist stereotypes will now be reproduced and thus also fueled every year on Valentine's Day is unacceptable.
We look forward to your thoughts.
Info [at] GLADT.de