All About Women | Women

There is a place, where words are born of silence,

Where whispers of the heart arise....

Rumi

The Million Women Rise Coalition expresses its sincere thanks to all the women who assisted in making the march and rally on 8 March 2008 in Central London a truly amazing, herstorical and successful event. Thousands of women joined the million women rise to end violence against women and the energy, love and defiance certainly rose. This was and is, just the beginning from now until we meet again on the 8th March 2009.

Our actions sent a clear message to decision makers that we are no longer prepared to accept rhetoric in the campaign to end violence against women and children.

We should all be proud of what we achieved on 8 March 2008. We will continue to work in solidarity with other women who share our vision for a world where women and children can live their lives free from the threat of violence. We take our strength from Maya Angelou’s words “Still we rise”.

We are disappointed that an incident involving a speaker who failed to get her contribution lodged in time has been misconstrued as an attempt to prevent her speaking about prostitution and violence. The speaker was invited in her capacity as a trade union official and we welcome the support of trade unions that share our aims and key message.

As a coalition we recognise that women who work in prostitution experience some of the most horrendous violence and abuse, and to them and all women who have experienced such violence, we offer our unwavering support and solidarity.

We also regret the actions of a few women, which resulted in violence, at the rally. As a coalition, we do not approve of acts of violence against anybody.

The Million Women Rise march and its related activities presents an opportunity for increasing dialogue between women. This we feel is the key to forging an indestructible unity between all women, which transcends all differences of nationality, ethnicity, religion, generation, and social position. Through dialogue we can learn from one another’s experiences and perceptions, which can only work to strengthen this ‘rising’ movement of women. Only by having open discussions can we further progress women’s position in this society, and work together to eradicate gendered violence. To this aim then, we would like to facilitate open dialogue forums around the UK and encourage all women to consider how they could organise a forum where they live

Thank you again. To all the women and girls that marched and gathered on International Women’s day 2008 in solidarity against male violence. Thank you to our stewards, women who had volunteered to be part of a movement towards a society that is free from violence, our amazing and inspirational speakers and comperes who shared their words and hearts, our 3 sign language interpreters, to the girl children the mothers, sistahs, aunties and elders who led, held and followed the march, and to the millions of women who have been murdered through violence, whose spirits we carry in our blood and whose hearts we could feel through the drums. Thank you drummers for swelling your hands to keep women on the march in rhythm with love. Thanks to the singers and musicians, artists and photographers, mobile movie makers, MWR crew. Thank you women past, present future for giving us the strength and courage that made this day possible because you inspired Million Women Rise, because some of us right now are free and we do this action because we can. Let’s meet again March 8th 2009 hopefully and as one sister says: to celebrate the elimination of male violence against women in all its forms. It will happen in our lifetime.

millionwomenrise.com

It is good!

What next SAVE SOUTH HALL BLACK SISTERS AND THE NO RECOURSE TO PUBLIC FUNDS CAMPAIGN and THE CRISIS IN RAPE CRISIS needs our support NOW! WHY WOMEN CAMPAIGN? WOMENS RESOURCE CENTRE

Please sign the petitions on line or download click links below . We need your support

Rape Crisis http: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/RapeCrisis/

Southall Black Sisters http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/SaveSBS/

MWR Bank Holiday http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/IWDpublicholiday/

Why Women? campaign www.whywomen.org.uk

If there are any womens groups out there who need our solidarity and support please do not hesitate to contact us 07862113308/

Or write to us care of Womens Resource Centre

One stick is easily broken many sticks together are harder to break.

Here is some feedback and photos of this herstoric day Million Women Rise 2008, London UK x

“This is the best IWD ever” “It really feels like we can change the world”

“This is the start of something big - change has got to come”

“This is the best march I have ever been on”

“This is the most diverse [women-only] march I have seen”.

The atmosphere on the march was highly charged with a positive energy, this was clearly fuelled by a shared determination and belief that together we will see an end to all forms of violence against women.