Commission on the Status of Women Participates in Global Movement to End Violence Against Women

One Billion Rising

The County of Sonoma Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is organizing a special local event as part of the global movement, One Billion Rising Revolution, which seeks to end violence against women. One in three women and girls worldwide will be a victim of rape or violence in their lifetime, and our community is not immune.  Members of the public, and the media, are invited to attend this free event which will be held on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14, 2015 from 2.30 to 6.00 PM at the Friedman Event Center at 4676 Mayette Avenue, Santa Rosa. Event partners include Guided to Safety and the United Nations Association -- Sonoma County Chapter.  Educational information will be available from Emerge, Family Justice Center Sonoma County, Powerful Voices Project, Sonoma County League of Women’s Voters, Verity, Voices, and Women’s Health Specialists.

This event will be filled with powerful stories, dance, music, and speeches from visible members of the community who wish to rise up with their collective voices to raise the consciousness of humanity, forcing a global shift away from the damaging paradigm that exists today. One Billion Rising Revolution is the third campaign coming out of V-Day – an organized response against violence against women – that began with The Vagina Monologues and moved into global campaigns to bring attention to the patriarchal mandate still prevalent in every culture today.  The One Billion Rising for Justice campaign in 2014 – which took place in over 200 countries around the world – exposed the “volatile and impacting connections between violence against women and economic, environmental, racial, and gender injustice.” This year’s One Billion Rising Revolution is the demand for change. 

About the Commission

The Commission on the Status of Women is a public advisory body currently comprised of 12 members appointed by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. The purpose of the Commission is to work to ensure that the issues impacting women and girls are given the necessary visibility to affect positive changes in public policy.

For additional information on CSW, visit the website at http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Commission-on-the-Status-of-Women/