On Saturday January 20th, millions of women, pink hats and posters gathered in around 250 cities to celebrate the one year anniversary of the women’s march. The 2017 march caught worldwide attention, and the goal of this years march was to keep that positive attention alive. So much has changed since last years march; many of the issues protested last year have expanded and many new movements for equality have arisen. Whether you were protesting women’s rights, President Trump, DACA, LGBTQ rights or any other social issue, the women’s march was a welcoming and accepting environment to do so. People of all ages, genders and races came together in a supportive environment to send a message that while it may feel like their is so much hate in the world, there is a huge community that is ready and willing to be loving.
2017 was a year filled with protest and speaking out. The women’s march in 2017 inspired people to finally demand to be heard, and call out those who stand in their way towards gaining equality. This was seen tremendously in 2017 with both the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements. When people stand together in events such as the women’s march, it builds confidence. So many women are coming out with inspiring stories that they have kept in secret for so long. If it wasn’t for the strong sense of community in 2017, many people wouldn’t be speaking up and changes wouldn’t be made. While the original women’s march was important to creating this sense of community, it is also necessary to reinforce the original values by having annual marches in order to sustain confidence among people and to remind the rest of the world that the struggle is far from over. With the 2018 women’s march behind us, hopefully this year will be filled with more powerful women and empowering moments that continue to lead the road to a more equal tomorrow.