Be one of the One Billion Rising on Valentine's Day

Be one of the One Billion Rising on Valentine's Day
B&T Magazine
By B&T Magazine
SHARE
THIS



The local marketing industry is being urged to throw their support behind the global movement fighting violence against women, One Billion Rising, on Valentine’s Day.

In Sydney, White Ribbon and business women networking group Girlpower Goddess, have partnered to hold a flash mob at St Mary’s Cathedral.

The flash mob will be just one part of the global One Billion Rising movement with events scheduled all over the world on Valentine’s Day.

Andrew O’Keefe, chairman of White Ribbon, said: “One in three women over the age of 15 report physical or sexual violence at some time in their lives – and a woman is killed every week by a current or former partner.”

“Whether we know it or not, every single one of us knows someone who is suffering abuse or has experienced violence. So together we have the responsibility, and the power, to be the generation that changes all that.”

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has thrown her support behind the movement with a YouTube message (below) while celebrities Anne Hathaway, George Clooney and Jane Fonda have pledged their support. 

The event is close to the heart for Girlpower’s founder Natascha Moy who suffered years of domestic abuse in the hands of her step-father (read her survivor story below).

Photographer Andrew Macoll captured shots of Moy and two other survivors to bring their stories to life.
 

For more details click here. Registration costs $5 and a One Billion Rising t-shirt cost $20 with all profits to be donated to The Wash House.

Non-Sydneysiders can get involved by purchasing a t-shirt and uploading pictures of themselves and friends dancing to the Girlpower's One Billion Rising YouTube channel.

 

NATASCHA MOY, FOUNDER  OF GIRLPOWER

“When I was 13 my mother married again. My stepfather was terribly charming and charismatic. He could sing like Tom Jones and my friends thought he was the best fun. Behind closed doors he was jealous, violent, destructive and terrifying. Within months of marrying my mother he smashed the glass coffee table with his fists, kicked my little dog across the room like a football and had given my mother a bloody nose. My little brothers and I felt like we were suddenly living in a nightmare and to make matters worse my mother was pregnant with my sister.

We had no way of negotiating through this and at a time when I needed a mother most my stepfather forbade her from spending time with me alone. We lived in hell for all of my teenage years and the last time my stepfather threw me down the passage I was 24 years of age. No one believed us and we were too ashamed to ask for help. For years it was a balancing act that I eventually believed was normal.

The fear is not in the punch but in the intimidation and the threats. Years later I realized that my greatest fear was not of being hurt but of him killing my mother, the only person who could care for us and leaving us with no one. I have cried a thousand tears and dreamed of the worst things, I have prayed to God and run away more times than I could count. The final straw came when I was pregnant and he threatened that my mother would never see her grandson or me ever again in her life. Eventually we all got away. And at my age now I have finally realized that I am no longer a victim but a survivor and that I can write my own destiny and my own story. I am teaching my son how to adore and love and respect women and doing this by show­ing him love and respect. I intend to make sure I break the chain with love.

I started Girlpower Goddess to empower women. To encourage women to believe that they are remarkable and that they have brilliant brains, resilience, beauty and passion. That it is ok to want to succeed and stand above the crowd and that it is in each one of us to be brilliant.”

Please login with linkedin to comment

Latest News

Would TikTok Be Missed?

Would TikTok Be Missed?

In this opinion piece, Alpha Digital’s head of performance Amir Rezaee outlines the impact to brands of a potential banning of TikTok in Australia The six weeks or so since TikTok announced its local Australian office has been a busy period. Aiming to make a similar impression on SMBs as it has on its 1.6m […]

NextMedia’s frankie And Gardening Australia Magazines Report “Surge In Sales”

NextMedia’s frankie And Gardening Australia Magazines Report “Surge In Sales”

Amid the sadness of magazine closures, the challenges of COVID-19, and industry concern as companies merge or change hands, some magazines are thriving. NextMedia titles such as the much-loved frankie and ABC Gardening Australia magazine have been enjoying a surge in sales during this period of home isolation. Gardening Australia retail sales have been robust […]

Mag Closures & The New Landscape For Earned Media

Mag Closures & The New Landscape For Earned Media

In this guest post, MINT’s publicity director, Nathan McIlroy (pictured below), explores the new norm for Australian media and says Bauer’s/Mercury Capital’s recent mag closures should be viewed as an exciting opportunity for the brave… Last week’s announcement that new owners Mercury Capital were to permanently close eight of Bauer Media’s magazines sent shockwaves through […]

Jamie Whincup And A Host Of Aussie Personalities Star In Club Marine Series

Jamie Whincup And A Host Of Aussie Personalities Star In Club Marine Series

In a first for the Australian insurance market, Club Marine, Australia’s largest provider of boat and pleasure-craft insurance, has released a new series of videos to help explain insurance cover. With a few familiar Aussie personalities to help out, Club Marine is helping its members, as well as the broader boating community, to understand the […]

KitKat Partners With R U OK?

KitKat Partners With R U OK?

No one enjoys a chocolate finger for morning tea like the B&T office. On other occasions we might even have a KitKat.

oOh! Launches The Junkee Network

oOh! Launches The Junkee Network

Junkee Media and parent company oOh!media have launched a powerful new way to reach young Australians – the Junkee Network. Combining Junkee Media’s content platforms with oOh!’s leading Out of Home assets in venues and universities across the country, the Junkee Network will be the largest and most influential youth content network in the country. […]

Research Reveals Aussie Small Businesses Upping Digital Marketing Spend

Research Reveals Aussie Small Businesses Upping Digital Marketing Spend

Australian small business owners are turning to skilled local freelancers and upping their digital marketing spend as they move online to connect with customers and keep cash flow positive. The Federal Government’s pandemic response has earned a tick from small business owners as have those of New South Wales and Queensland, but one in three […]

Melbourne, Australia - August 6, 2015: A woman walks past an Optus store on Bourke St. Optus is the second largest telecommunications company in Australia.

Optus Assistant Chatbot Surpasses 2 Million Conversations

In the last 12 months, Optus’ AI Assistant Chatbot has surpassed two million conversations, with 1 in 6 Optus customers having their queries resolved immediately, providing a seamless experience without needing to speak to a person. Optus Assistant greets every customer that comes through My Optus App Messaging and its Web Messaging service with on average […]