What's 1 Billion rising?

Social Experimentation

 Well that is what 'he' referred the 'event' to!  Violence against women is about dominance and sense of 'ownership' that men have over women. Eve Enslar equates male dominance over, with mankind's dominance over the earth. Environmental rape is as much about 'man's' sense of ownership over the land, vegetation and animals as is the rape and sexual assault against women is about the notion the men have dominion over women.

This misconception of men having ownership of women is an extremist view held by some religious partices. Even follow believers in my own faith use scriptural references to justified, unjustifiable acts of violence against women. Mistakenly, this sterns from the book of Genesis in which man (meaning mankind in the instance) is give dominion over the earth and all living things. This dominion was not about 'rule' rather man was appointed as 'caretaker' over all living thins.

 For me the word 'caretaker', incorporates responsibilities like 'nurturing', 'protecting' 'loving' and 'feeding'. Nothing of a caretakers speaks of control, dominance or authority. I feel that these attributes are derives from references in religious texts that talk about 'submission.  However just as females are to submit  to the authority of males, we as in all; mankind are to submit ourselves to one another and to God.  Thus, at least in my Christian faith submission is a act of human will.  It in not an order nor a demand, rather an act of love.  In Corinthians we read a list of qualifications for love: Love is patience, love is kind It does not envy, it does not boast, and is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self seeking, and does no wrong, Love does not delight in evil but re-joyous with truth. It always protects, it always trusts, always hopes, and always preserves   When we 'love' or 'care' or even have 'dominion' over some one or something need to be displayed qualities are open for display.

In the absence of these qualities of love, what be a left with in not dominion but rule or ownership.  It is this sense of ownership, that strips away rights from one party and contributes to the violation of another persons personal freedom or the violation of another living thing.  The role of 'caretaker' has been lost in the transfer of ownership.

Of course not all violence is the result of ownership mentality.  Violence can also be a result of wants.  All I care about is my needs and my wants, so I have no respect for others or objects that will provide my wants. An act of violence is one of the most selfish acts mankind can inflict on another person.

I like one in three women living on this planet have been a victim of violence at the hands of a man.  While other perform acts of violence under the protection of marriage rites, rites of passage, or uncontrollable male urges. My violator's 'excuse' was social experimentation, is other words he wanted to know what it was like to make out with a chick with cerebral palsy. Not that he used those word.

The give away line was I wonder what it would be like to 'do' a girl who was visually impaired. That's right, while he was undressing me in the middle of Queen Street Mall in Brisbane, he made not attempt to pretend that is was to see what it was like to be with a women who had a disability.  I wasn't rape or assault at that stage, until we got back to the motel room and he flung me on the bed a few times, that the actually act of violence took place right in front of my room mate for the night.  We were both women and he had 'no' respect for either of us given we were both disable and thus mere objects in his world. 

Only he didn't count of my courage and determination to get him out of the room that night, he was quiet happy to rape me in front of witness and say it was consented sex because I agreed to the date.  Despite overpowering me to gain entry into room. Agreeing to a date and agreeing to have sex are two different things in my mind. My disability wasn't the only thing exploited that night, so was my experience in dating.

I have never before told this story so explicitly, I am choosing to do so now because tomorrow is V-Day. V- Day is a global movement where both men and women are working together to highlight the prevalence of violence against women and girls across the globe. Which includes, assault, sexual assault, rape, battery, domestic violence, rape in marriage, incest, female genital mutilation and sex slavery. In choosing to tell my story is graphic deals I hope to you my readers sense some of the emotions of 'our exploitation' that night because we were women with a disability and not justification was required on the offender. I after all had a greed to the date and in his eyes equally to blame. 

I hope in telling my story I will encourage others to share their own.  There is no justification for violence. 

FEB 14 or 1 Billion rising is a movement to break the silence and to celebrate the freedom that comes with that. 

Marches, protest, celebrations, street parties and song and dance will be happening on a global scale. However there's also a uprising occurring on social media  including facebook, twitter, google, blogger and thunderclap.

Dancing for freedom

Tomorrow we want shine our touches brightly on violence and its acceptance. We need you to join  The one Billion rising up against violence 

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