Kolkata: Kolkata observed One Billion Rising 2026 at Ranu Chhaya Mancha on Tuesday in a stand against gender-based violence, with voices, poetry, music and performances filling the venue. Fifteen organisations across Kolkata collaboratively organised the observance, bringing together activists, students, artists, civil society members and citizens to raise their voices to eliminate gender-based violence.
The movement, initiated in 2012 by feminist activist Eve Ensler, began in response to findings highlighted by UN Women that one in three women globally experiences violence, and it continues to mobilise communities worldwide through art and public solidarity. This year's theme, "Rise for Our Bodies, Our Earth, Our Future," underscored the interconnected and structural nature of violence. The event concluded with a call to build a society where dignity and safety were non-negotiable.