Report of Launch of One Billion Rising (OBR) Function by Akshara, Mumbai on 28-11-2012 The OBR began as a call to action based on the staggering UN statistics that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS. The campaign is growing every day in the lead up to February 14, 2013, with women and men around the world signing on. To date, thousands of activists, over 13,000 organizations around the globe, and 176 countries have committed to participate and hold events. When we heard of the One Billion Rising Campaign, we felt that it will help us in spreading the issue of violence against women and bring greater attention to it. Akshara along with SANGAT lauched its OBR campaign on 28-11-2012 at Films Division, Pedder Road, Mumbai which began with Felicitation of Activists of the Women’s Movement in Mumbai who have over the years worked for the justice for women, by Shabana Azmi by giving the felicitation trophy to them. Seven Women and one man felicitated were: Anjali Dave, Flavia Agnes, Hasina Khan, Jason Temasfieldt, Jyoti Mhapsekar, Sugandhi Francis, Urmila Pawar, Vibhuti Patel. After this, the film festival was launched by Rahul Bose “Our Lives… to Live” with the premiere of Gulabi Gang, a film by Nishtha Jain, on a women’s group in dacoit infested Bundelkhand and their efforts to end violence in their lives. Prior to that, the first short film by Eve Enslar was screened on One Billion Rising that charged the atmosphere with gusto. Rahul Bose and Kalpana Sharma, senior journalist led the discussion on the film with a question answer session with the director Nishta Jain.

1. L-R Back: Nandita Shah, Nandita Gandhi, Hasina Khan, Shabana Azmi, Jyoti
Mhapsekar, Rahul Bose, Jason Temasfieldt
L-R Front: Anjali Dave, Urmila Pawar, Sugandhi Francis, Flavia Agnes, Vibhuti Patel