Today is Valentine’s Day.

A day ostensibly marked for lovers and love and chocolates and hearts and all the goopy stuff that goes with it.

More importantly, today marks the event of One Billion Rising. A day of protest against the violence and abuse against women the world over.

The world is saying enough! It’s not okay to rape a woman, it’s not okay to abuse a child, it’s not okay to harm someone just so a primitive desire can be fulfilled.

Of late two young woman have died because of these atrocities. One in India and one in South Africa. Brutalized and invaded to death!

Every four minutes a rape occurs in South Africa. A local radio station set a beep to go off every four minutes throughout the day. Every time you heard that beep, you knew someone, somewhere was being raped. Set your phone to beep every four minutes for the next hour. See if you aren’t moved by the horror of what you’re hearing. An hour is enough for most of us. Remember that this goes on day in and day out with a relentless sense of no escape for many women.

Rape doesn’t recognize gender. Rape doesn’t respect color. Rape doesn’t acknowledge social status. Rape doesn’t care. Rape is rape!

Anoushka Shankar, musician and daughter of the legendary Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, has today admitted she was sexually abused as a child.

In this video to support a global campaign to end violence against women—One Billion Rising—she said the abuse had been by “a man my parents trusted”.

Read more of Anoushka’s story here and help her and millions of others to stand up and shout enough!

Dawn Meysel hails from South Africa. Wife, Mother of Twins, lover of books, her bed, her family, her two Zen Masters (her cats) and chocolate. She’s astounded by love and grace, appalled at hatred and injustice. Intrepid seeker of Truth, student of the soul and spirituality, counselor, friend. She’s part of a nation clawing its way to restoration, forgiveness and healing. There’s still a long way to go but she’s excited to be alive at this time with SA’s rainbow nation, cultural and religious diversity and really good, funky food! She’s a novice student of yoga, a vegetarian, animal rights activist and non flakey in the nicest way! She lives by two mottos, “This too shall pass” and “Now, with God’s help, I shall become myself.”

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Ed: Lynn Hasselberger