By: Danielle Binks
Today is ‘One Billion Rising’ the day when women around the world are invited to Walk Out, Dance, Rise Up and Demand an end to violence against women. It is a global strike, invitation to dance, a call to men and women alike to end rape-culture and to bring about an end to violence against women and girls.
The movement has been accompanied by a chest-swelling (if schmaltzy) video of women around the world rising up, and the factual-slogans of the movement have been seeping into the collective conscious and news media.
Dancing to end violence against women – if that sounds flawed to you, you’re not alone.
‘One Billion Rising’ has been compared to the ‘flash-in-the-pan’ Kony 2012 movement. And Carolyn Gage questioned why we can’t have more earnest discourse about male violence, without dressing it up in pink and setting it to music.
All valid points. As are those that compare ‘One Billion Rising’ campaign tactics to Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Awareness – the biggest example of harmful and disingenuous cross-marketing. And, like Pink Ribbon, buckets of celebrities have come on board ‘One Billion Rising’. However well-meaning these Hollywood stars may be, there’s something that doesn’t sit right when Anne Hathaway shows her support by appearing photo-shopped in short-shorts on the cover of ‘Glamour’ magazine, sporting the slogan t-shirt.
But does that mean ‘One Billion Rising’ isn’t worthwhile? Does that mean it’s another failure of the ‘new generation’ feminism – the likes of which also spouted SlutWalk and claim Beyoncé in their ranks?
Look, from where I’m standing it’s a sort of ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ situation. Most recently, feminists were angered when British food Writer, Mary Berry, came out and said she wasn’t a feminist, and that in fact “feminism is a dirty word.” She was the latest in a long line of high-profile women to come out and declare they were not feminist. France's former first-lady, Carla Bruni, was at it, observing, “We don’t need to be feminist in my generation,” while singer Katy Perry accepted an award with the contradictory words: “I’m not a feminist, but I do believe in the strength of women.”
What a campaign like ‘
One Billion Rising’ does, despite its many flaws, is prove that feminism is not the dirty word some would make it out to be.
The same way that Pussy Riot inspired balaclava-clad feminist supporters, or Malala Yousafzai became an inspiration and Nobel Peace Prize-nominee … ‘One Billion Rising’, if it does anything at all, will remind people (importantly, the younger female generation) that feminism is not something to be ashamed of and denounced, à la Mary Berry.
If you think that feminism only happens in secreted conferences amongst like-minded women, or is a buzzword slung around in an election year … think again.
What ‘One Billion Rising’ does, is get feminism out on the streets. The Melbourne event is happening 6 – 7 pm tonight, beginning at Federation Square and continuing across the Princes Bridge to Queen Victoria Gardens. And there are similar joyous dances happening in cities across the globe.
After a year that included Jill Meagher’s tragic death, and the Delhi Gang Rape, ‘One Billion Rising’ is asking everyone to come out and rise up against something that affects us all. Julia Gillard has even come out in support, saying that the violence must stop.
Will dancing on Valentine’s Day help? Will Charlize Theron speaking in a heartfelt ad help combat violence against women? Will changing your Twitter/Facebook profile picture to the ‘One Billion Rising’ logo help? No. But I would debate that this campaign is more than the sum of its pink-coloured, strategically-marketed parts.
‘One Billion Rising’ is far from perfect – but it’s a start. It’s a way to show today’s generation of young women and girls that feminism is not a “dirty word” – that feminism doesn't go away, it just keeps reinventing itself across the generations and right now, with this movement, it’s trying to harness the power of social-media and at least try to puncture collective consciousness.
Yes, most feminists would prefer that the more truthful ‘male violence against women’ be addressed, and that such events be women-only and don’t rely on cloying ad campaigns and catchy dance tunes to ‘spice up’ anti-violence against women. This movement is not perfect – and (if it’s anything like Kony) it may not be here again next year. But right now it’s getting people talking – more importantly, it’s getting young women talking and participating. And maybe, just maybe, it will convince some young girl that contrary, to Katy Perry and Mary Berry's belief, feminism is not a dirty word and she might just grow up embracing it.
