By DARRYN SMITH
IT WAS a sea of red and white as more than 100 dancers took to Lions Park for the third Valentine’s Day, One Billion Rising dance on Saturday.
More than 150 people stopped to watch the spectacle designed to raise awareness and bring an end to violence against women and children around the world.
Dance organiser Gail Hewton, who has a background in dance, started the event in 2013 in response to an article she saw in a Sydney paper about One Billion Rising, a global event where people gather to dance a choreographed routine.
“Alma Lones, a psychotherapist, who works with trauma victims has heard many women say that rising and dancing with women around the world did more to heal the wound of sexual trauma than years of therapy,” Gail said.
“After our first Noosa event, one participant who had removed herself from a long-term violent relationship, said dancing in our event with so many of her community showed her that people cared and supported her and she realised she no longer needed to feel that shame.”
Councillor Frank Wilkie spoke on the day and said he is passionate about the cause, highlighting the 12 safe houses for women and families experiencing domestic violent in Noosa are always full.
“One in three girls and women over the age of 15 will experience physical violence in their life,” he said.
“That means millions of Australian women have experienced violence after the age of 15. That’s one billion women around the world.”
Cr Wilkie said one Australian woman is killed in Australia ever week as a result of domestic violence, often in front of their children.
“Domestic violence remains the most common factor in homelessness among Australian women and children,” he said.
