Demand for Justice in Cases of Ten Women Killed or Assaulted
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], 212-633-4150, @AIUSAmedia
(NEW YORK) – Amnesty International activists in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Washington are inviting the public to join them at 2:14 pm local time Thursday, Feb. 14 – Valentine’s Day – for public dance events in support of the One Billion Rising movement to demand an end to violence against women. The rights group today released the stories of ten women killed or assaulted and encouraged people to call for justice in these cases in support of One Billion Rising. To take action, see 10 Reasons to Move to the Music and End Violence Against Women.
For details on Amnesty-sponsored events supporting One Billion Rising, including dancing in New York City’s Times Square, go to our Amnesty and V-Day action page.
For more than a decade, Amnesty International has raised awareness and campaigned to end impunity for violence against women; in recent days, for example, the organization has demanded action to stop sexual violence in Indonesia and called on Egyptian President Morsi to stop assaults on women in Tahrir Square.
“Violence against women is one of the world’s most pervasive human rights abuses,” said Cristina Finch, managing director of Amnesty USA’s women’s rights program. “Globally, one woman in three has been beaten, coerced into sex, or abused in her lifetime and yet, justice for these abuses is all too rare. It’s well past time for meaningful action around the world to stop these abuses. We encourage people to join us for the One Billion Rising events and to demand justice for survivors and an end to violence against women.”
In the United States, Amnesty activists are campaigning this week for passage by Congress of the Violence Against Women Act.
As part of its advocacy, Amnesty International is urging supporters to send individual members of Congress Valentine’s Day e-cards urging the passage of the Violence Against Women Act, which is being debated in the Senate this week. To send an e-Valentine to members of Congress, visit our VAWA valentine page.
The Senate and the House of Representatives have reintroduced the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, a key piece of legislation that aims to protect and support women in the United States from terrible acts of violence and exploitation.
Reauthorization was blocked in the last session of Congress as some lawmakers opposed expanding protections to Native American and Alaskan Native women, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community and immigrant women.
Amnesty International is a sponsoring partner of One Billion Rising, launched by Eve Ensler, Tony Award-winning author of “The Vagina Monologues.” The goal for February 14 is to encourage one billion women, and those who love them, to “dance, shake the world and shift the energy” to empower women and girls and break the cycle of violence.
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth, and dignity are denied.