After five years of daily work on social networks in favor of conciliatory feminism, and outraged by a series of absolutely cruel crimes against women in different parts of the country, I felt that something more had to be done. And then, to my great surprise and happiness, a multitude of voices joined my protest and painted the streets of at least 90 Brazilian municipalities black, gray and purple last Sunday, December 7.
“Uprising: Living Women” began when actress and screenwriter Livia La Gatto came to me and said “yes” to one of my videos about organizing a protest. The inspiration came from South Africa, where women gathered in parks and lay on the ground for 14 minutes, symbolizing the number of lives lost every day to femicide in the country.
What started in social media stories evolved into chats, WhatsApp groups, zooms, then took to the streets, forming a giant wave, based on an entirely digital, voluntary, spontaneous and organic mobilization. Digital activism has left the couch.
Intuitively, we follow the strategies of Generation Z, who in Asia are using digital platforms to organize mass protests. The main characteristics of the movement are young leaders, decentralized organization, hybrid activism and information sharing via social media.
What surprised me was how digital accelerates the scope and scale of the timeline of events. As a theater producer, I have never seen something this big done so quickly, in an organized and organic way. In five days, we had 8 million impressions on our digital content and over 100,000 subscribers. And there we were, on Avenida Paulista, in São Paulo, on top of a sound car, presenting a list of demands.
The feeling of coming out of the helplessness of being on your cell phone, of reading yet another news story about an atrocious femicide, and of migrating towards action, in the collective, singing and crying with so many women who felt the same as me, wanted the same thing as me and who mobilized as much as me, is unforgettable.
Over time: “Levante: Mulheres Vivas” did not act in a spirit of hatred, a formula which, we know, generally inflames tempers on social networks. It took place in a climate of welcome and unity, in solidarity with the pain and helplessness of those who just want to return home safe and sound, even when leaving the demonstration.
Our result was what we had predicted; a transformation of mourning into struggle, a call for power and a recognition of the noise of the thousands of people who left their homes to participate in demonstrations throughout Brazil.
Also the certainty that we have more in common than the opposite, and that by opening our hearts to the pain of others, humanity is recognized – and this makes us closer, more empathetic and stronger.
I like to think we are closer to a much-needed revolution. We need big changes so that every woman can be and be in the world with respect and dignity.
Because it’s not about hunting seals, it’s about saving lives.
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