A billion thanks

A crowdsourced map of BRAC’s participation in One Billion Rising, in BRAC’s home country of Bangladesh.

Yesterday from the Philippines to Dhaka to South Sudan to New York City, BRAC staff, volunteers, clients, interns and supporters participated in One Billion Rising, which invited women and those who love them around the world to “WALK OUT, DANCE, RISE UP, and DEMAND” an end to violence against women. 

It almost goes without saying that ending violence against women is at the core of BRAC’s work. BRAC has typically focused on ending structural violence, removing the barriers to women’s social, economic, and political opportunity at the grassroots level. It’s often because women lack power in other spheres that they’re left vulnerable to more gruesome forms of violence.

So it was truly an honor yesterday to have the opportunity to stand with all our clients, volunteers and supporters as part of a global community of people working to end all forms of violence against women. One day of public action may not do much per se, but as a global organization of over 100,000 staff and over 100,000 microfranchisees, reaching over 126 million people — most of whom are women — it meant a lot in terms of inspiration to continue on with our work.

Thanks from all of us in the BRAC family to the One Billion Rising.