PUHI — One in three women on this planet will be raped, or beaten in her lifetime, according to United Nations statistics, said Kipukai Kualii, Director of Operations for the YWCA of Kauai. The statistics amount to more than 1
PUHI — One in three women on this planet will be raped, or beaten in her lifetime, according to United Nations statistics, said Kipukai Kualii, Director of Operations for the YWCA of Kauai.
The statistics amount to more than 1 billion women, which gave rise to the One Billion Rising for justice movement.
Kauai, through the joint efforts of the YWCA of Kauai and the Kauai Community College Campus Public Safety Department and Kauai PAU, lent its voices to the global movement that encourages women to rise up for justice and let their voices be heard.
On Feb. 14, 2013, 1 billion people in 207 countries rose and danced to demand an end to violence against women and girls.
Friday, one year later, the KCC One Billion Rising event joined events on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island to raise awareness and speak out against violence against women.
“This week, the Red Flag Campaign focussed on dating violence,” said Patricia Wistinghausen, the campus public safety manager. “Today’s One Billion Rising brings awareness to violence against women through the efforts of Kauai PAU, a group of people who want to end the violence through understanding.”
Wistinghausen said although the efforts centered around women, there are groups who work with men who are victims of violence, and eventually, wants to establish groups to address that subject.
Kualii said the movement urges and supports the women survivors for taking this opportunity to break their silence and for sharing their stories — politically, spiritually, outrageously — through art, dance, marches, ritual, song, spoken word, testimonies, and whatever way they feel right in the spirit of solidarity and aloha.
Tying in with the International Awareness Month, students visiting for three weeks from the Okinawa Christian University set the stage for the flash/mob dance with performances of Okinawa Eisa dances followed by the Aloha Africa group with traditional African drum, dance and song.
Brian Yamamoto, a KCC instructor, said there are about 30 students who arrived here this week.
“This weekend, they spend with host families to learn more about the island culture and lifestyle,” Yamamoto said. “The students are divided into two groups, one majoring in English and the other in early childhood education.”
The focus of the International Awareness Month series switches to Indigenos Politics, Indigenizing Curriculum.
