'My body's holy'

I am hosting an event for the global initiative One billion rising, It is an event very dear to my heart, as a mother of four beautiful daughters and an amazing granddaughter I think I know a little bit about girls of all ages. My girls like me have grown in a loving home full of affirmation and a ‘you can do it attitude’.  I told them to dream big to reach for what they want in life, we are blessed to live in the West, where education and health is a blessing, in fact we have things in abundance.

This initiative is a reminder to everyone that 1-3 women in their lifetime will suffer at the hands of a rapist or some other violent assault, shocking statistics in everyway.

You only have to watch the news to hear these stories of war and atrocities, to watch the women talk about the abuse they have suffered and when they don’t quite look like you it can give their pain a distance from your own situation. But then these veil-wearing mothers speak of the atrocities born on their bodies and they gasp with sobs at the actions and crimes perpetrated on their beautiful daughters and right there right at that moment she is no longer a stranger she is my sister. One Billion rising in its song ‘Break the chains’ as the words

 

‘This is my body, my body’s holy 
No more excuses, no more abuses’.

 

Can a song with great words or even one billion women rising bring changes? I don’t think with all the will of every one of those women singing and dancing we will see the end of abuse which is obviously of great sadness, but the collective voice can highlight and make a shout out for change. Throughout history great changes came from those who stood to end slavery and lets not forget ‘women’s suffrage’ to which women owe a great debt of gratitude.
So on the 14/2/13 across the globe women will rise and use their talents and voices to proclaim this message. I am going to lead an event where we share our stories, listen to beautiful women sing, we are going to sing together and my challenge to these ladies will be to do what I have done which is way out of my comfort zone and it is to dance. To dance like our lives depend on it because for some women it really does.

 

'I dance cause I love               

Dance cause I dream

Dance cause I’ve had enough

Dance to stop the screams

Dance to break the rules

Dance to stop the pain

Dance to turn it upside down

Its time to break the chain, oh yeah   Break the Chain'.