One in three women will be beaten or raped during their lifetimes. Oakton Community College’s Women’s and Gender Studies Program is joining organizations from more than 160 countries around the world to participate in "One Billion Rising," a campaign calling for one billion men and women to raise awareness about violence against women.

At Oakton, students, faculty, staff, and community members will gather, dance, and sing “Break the Chain,” One Billion Rising’s theme song. The event will take place Thursday, Feb. 14 at 3:30 p.m. at the main lobby of the college's campuses in Des Plaines (1600 East Golf Road) and Skokie (7701 North Lincoln Ave.)

More than 75 participants are expected to take part in One Billion Rising at the college's campuses this year. V-Day, a global activist movement dedicated to ending violence against women and girls, is coordinating the event. Feb. 14 marks the group's 15th anniversary. The One Billion Rising event is free and open to the public. 

More information about the world-wide campaign can be found at onebillionrising.org and vday.org.