International event takes place at Spanish Steps

As part of the global "One Billion Rising" campaign to end violence against women, a flash mob will “rise and dance” at the Spanish Steps on Friday 14 February. Everybody is welcome to participate in the event which draws awareness to the estimated one billion women on the planet raped or beaten during their lifetime.

American choreographer Linda Foster will lead professional and non-professional dancers, women and men, boys and girls, in a performance based on variations of the "Break the Chain" choreography. This year participants will be joined by the "bounding, leaping athletes" from Parkouroma. Organisers insist that everyone is welcome, and guests are also invited to bring a drum or a guitar.

The plan is for a billion men and women in 189 countries to dance in protest over the violence against women. The event takes place on Valentine's Day, which is also the 16th anniversary of "V-Day", when the One Billion Rising (OBR) campaign was founded by Eve Ensler, the American author best known for her play The Vagina Monologues, which has been performed in over 140 countries.

For full details on the Rome event see the One Billion Rising website.