This week marked one of the most unifying weeks for women and feminists alike. Triggered by Trump’s inauguration, millions of women and men took to the streets in roughly 600 hundred organised marches worldwide, protesting against sexual inequality and promoting human rights.
The first of the series of marches occurred on Saturday night in Washington, where 99,000 people (reportedly double the number that had attended Trump’s inauguration the day before) gathered in an act of protest and unity, bearing their pink ‘pussyhats’ and beginning the largest day of protests in US history. 1 in every 100 Americans joined in the marches, with the largest turnout in Los Angeles where there were reportedly nearly 900,000 protestors.
“We’re marching because we want no girl to ever lower her sights, be limited in her life because she sees her value of her life through Donald Trump’s eyes.”
But the movement was not just about Trump. These issues transcend his election, but become increasingly pertinent in the wake of the inauguration of a president whose campaign was characterised by mysogny and racism, and who has recently signed an anti-abortion Executive Order to defund Planned Parenthood. It is against racism, ableism, misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia – and many more human rights that are being threatened.
The march attracted a vast array of people, each carrying personal grievances as well as standing up for the grievances of others. Here are a few of the best sings taken from the Women’s March in London:
One of the most important messages to take away from these protests is that it does not end here. This week’s marches were merely a warm-up, but there is still plenty to be done. We must focus on education and lobbying to ensure that these issues are not forgotten in the wake of this political shake-up. Trump’s presidency is merely a wakeup call that the world needed to prove we can no longer sit back and watch issues play out in front of us. We must keep protesting. As one sign from the protests in Washington said: “The President is not America. We are America, and we are here to stay.”