Seattle-area Filipina girls and women are ready to dance for justice as part of the One Million Rising campaign to end violence against women.

Vagina Monologues creator Eve Ensler started One Billion Rising last year as a “a call to survivors to break the silence and release their stories – politically, spiritually, outrageously – through art, dance, marches, ritual, song, spoken word, testimonies and whatever way feels right." According to the United Nations, one in three women will be raped or beaten in their lifetime, totaling about one billion. Over 200 countries participated in the events, and this year they're expecting many more to join in.

Claudia Paras of Gabriela Seattle (formerly Pin@y sa Seattle), a collective that works to build a community in the Seattle area invested in educating, defending, and advocating for the human rights of Filipinas globally, says:

We are dancing again this year because it brings a serious issue to a highly visible platform to raise awareness on a global scale. We know dancing isn’t the solution. The solution is in the direct action we take to tackle the root causes, question the system that enables violence in our everyday lives, and we know we can’t do it alone. As a survivor, organizer, and ally I feel empowered and inspired to be with others here and internationally rising together on VDay.

In addition to tonight's event, Gabriela Seattle is committed to educating their communities about the root causes of violence impacting women and children, including issues of human and labor trafficking, forced migration, wage theft, accessibility to healthcare, and enforced disappearances.

If you feel like dancing along or supporting the cause, head to the Southcenter Mall in Tukwila tonight from 6:30pm-7:30pm.