On Saturday, January 21, millions of women around the world rallied together and marched in what is being called the largest united political demonstration in United States history. Current estimates conclude that 673 separate marches in 81 different countries were held. These were not protests, or a direct attack on the newly elected president, but instead a reminder of the strength of women’s voices. These marches have been praised for their unifying message, peaceful tactics, and emphasis on inclusivity and intersectionality.
However, they have also been harshly criticized, with many questioning if women even knew what they were marching for. In lieu of this criticism, I decided to reach out to marchers of different race, ethnicity, class, age, gender, and location, to ask them why they marched.
Here are their stories:
Andrea, March on El Paso –
I march because I am the daughter of an immigrant. I march because my family and my community have been degraded and dehumanized and turned into a terrible and odious stereotype. We have been called dirty, we have been called rapists, we have been called criminals. I march because I believe America was already great. I march because I believe America can be greater together. I march because if my parents hadn’t made the sacrifices they did to come to this great country I might not have the opportunities I do now. I march while I can, and I will continue marching so that future generations can have the same opportunities if not more one day. We marched from the Mexican border to our downtown plaza in El Paso, Texas. We marched for women. We marched for immigrants. We marched so that the borders that exist now can be turned into bridges. We marched undivided. without borders and without boundaries. I am Mexican. I am American. I am a woman. I don’t believe borders should exist. I am boundless. I marched.
Amelia, March on Rochester –
Why did I attend a rally in a small upstate city instead of join the hundreds of thousands of women marching in DC or other large cities? To pressure local officials. While the current federal administration has little inclination to listen to my complaints, at the local level the stakes are much higher. I went to the People’s Solidarity Rally in Rochester, N.Y. I went to the Rochester Rally and heard speeches from local elected officials, like my N.Y. State assembly person and a nearby town supervisor. These officials came out to a rally that expected to be inside a church and grew to be so large it filled the backup location, a large park in downtown Rochester! These elected officials stated publicly to the rally their vow to fight for the rights of marginalized groups. They have the power to enact policies that protect their people from the upcoming administration. And if they don’t, we can vote them out – much sooner than we can vote out federal officials. There is strength in pressuring local officials – it’s part of how the Tea Party came to power after Barack Obama was elected. The same day as hundreds of thousands of women march across New York state, Governor Andrew Cuomo released his plan to require insurance companies in New York to continue covering contraception and in fact expand contraception coverage to more than what the ACA required. The plan also requires insurance companies to cover abortions deemed medically necessary without a copay. We must continue to pressure all of our officials throughout the next four years!
Liz, March on Seneca Falls –
I march because I want the world to benefit from the voices, thoughts, deeds, actions, intellect and heart of women, all women. There is an expression that women hold up half the sky, and while that’s true, it sure feels like the half we are holding up is windy, dirty, cold, and slippery as hell. And for that, I blame men, yes, but I also blame ourselves. Every time we say “Oh, I’ll just do it, it’s easier.” instead of teaching a man or child to, say, find a soda in the fridge, clear their own plate, make the dentist appointment or whatever you, as a woman, overcompensate for in your home. Every time we say we are sorry for things we can’t control, show deference to men (because that’s what we were taught), make excuses for bad behavior on the part of others or don’t demand that men DO THEIR SHARE at work and at home, we are trampling on our own rights. Yes, you will be called a loud-mouthed b*tch (been there, done that) because that’s what we label women who stand up for themselves. When someone calls me a “b*tch”, I say thank you, as no greater compliment can be paid to me, or any woman. Because by “b*tch”, they mean strong, independent, spirited, fierce and a little bit scary. All traits we need to survive as humans, and all traits that are praised in men. And if those traits are positive for men, how can they be negative when said about me? A wise person once told me that everyone is racist, everyone is sexist, everyone is ageist and everyone is homophobic, because that’s how we were raised, and that the only way to overcome what we have been taught is to acknowledge those traits in yourself and work to overcome them. I believe this to be true, and I have worked hard in my own life to acknowledge and overcome those tendencies (and tried to teach my daughter the same). My most fervent hope (and one of the reasons I march) is that someday we won’t have to teach our children to overcome those traits because they won’t have been taught them in the first place.
Abby, March on Boston –
As a human (not a man or woman, Republican or Democrat, Hillary or Trump supporter) as a HUMAN, I believe one of our greatest gifts is our ability to connect with others. We are the only species that when it sees another being experiencing something (pleasure, pain, etc..) our brain sends signals that make us feel as though we are experiencing the same thing. Our ability to empathize is innate and beautiful and precious. It is a gift. Unfortunately, I have bared witness to many people turning their back to this gift in the past couple of years which, in turn, has meant that they have turned their back to people in pain. A very big chunk of the dominant culture in this country is having a hard time grasping the concept of privilege. In the U.S., white, male, and heterosexuality is favored. This means that when we are born with these pieces of our intersectionality, we are automatically given privileges that other communities do not have. These privileges are based solely on our appearance and have nothing to do with the content of our character. Marginalized communities that live outside of these favored identities, at birth, have already been forced to navigate the degrading confines of systematic oppression… now, in lieu of recent political movements, the oppression these communities are experiencing is becoming more and more publicly prominent. It has become socially acceptable to make people feel small. We have given a face, name, mascot, a follower to ignorance. We are forgetting our greatest gift as human beings: to empathize. We are treating people who are crying out for help like they are dramatic. I went to the women’s march to share a human experience that I feel has been absent in this country in the last year. Although it was a women’s march, it really felt like a march for humanity. It was a day where people came together to feel heard about their own personal experience of oppression in this country right now. As a woman, an aunt, a sister, a daughter of a single mother, a domestic and sexual violence advocate, an ally to the LGBTQ community, a student and ally to issues around marginalized communities,diversity, and inclusion, and most relevant as an American…. I went to this march to remember why America is already great.
Patti, March on Seneca Falls –
I march because I am proud of our democracy and I truly appreciate the rights that Americans share. I believe that with those rights come responsibilities. Abraham Lincoln referred to our government as of the people, by the people, and for the people. Our government can only work when we fulfill our responsibilities to be a part of the process, to take on leadership roles when necessary, and raise our voices to ensure that our elected officials hear us. We need to join together for the greater good, and set aside our own comfort to protect those who should not have to stand alone. We benefit from the struggle of those before us, and we must continue to pay it forward for our children. Raising our voices, even in protest, is what our democracy was meant to look like.
Ashley, March on Boston –
I marched because it was really important for me to be around people who are as angry and appalled by this election as I am, because I don’t want the president to be normalized at all. Also I obviously am impacted by reproductive rights and don’t think a bunch of old white men should be able to make decisions from getting the proper care. Also I am completely against the racist, sexist, xenophobic, and ableist words and actions of both the president and the V.P. But while I was listening to the speakers and marching, I was just hoping that all these people around me who thought it would be fun to make a sign and march would be there in the future to help continue the work necessary for change, or at least help on making the people they surround themselves with educated on oppressions that don’t affect them personally. Because marching is definitely important but it isn’t enough.
Rinne, March on Boston –
The reason I wanted to march was because, frankly, many people made a decision to elect a man that puts my family and friends in danger. But, also as someone who’s been marching for only a few years now for different causes, I found it beautiful to see so many other people come together for one cause. I only hope that the activism doesn’t stop there, and others continue to go to some meetings and rallies and use their influence to make a difference, and a more equitable America.
Raegan, March on Boston –
I march because I can. I am very privileged because I can attend events like this without having to fear much for my health and/or safety. I march so I can use my voice to help women who would otherwise be silenced. There were some people who criticized the women’s march and were skeptical about exactly what rights we were fighting for. I march to remind people to look outside of their own personal bubbles.
Tyler, March on Boston –
I march because this Nasty F*ggot demands the rights of equality for EVERY Nasty Woman. Us queens need to stick together and I am so grateful and excited to stand by your collective side as we work for a better America!
Samantha, March on Boston –
I march for the people who feel left behind or left out, I march to show that my voice can and will be heard, and I march in solidarity with women around the world to show that we will not go down quietly or without a fight.
Katie, March on Boston –
I march, for those who cannot. For those who are sitting in hospitals fighting for their lives, terrified that they will now no longer be able to afford their cancer treatment. I march, for the little girls to teach them how important it is to “fight like a girl.” I march, not just for the country, but for the entire earth, because climate change is not a hoax made up by the Chinese. I march, for my mom, aunts, grandmothers, sisters and friends, because women’s rights are human rights. I march, for my frightened friends who are apart of different religions, because I know they are no different from myself. I march, for those whom I may not know, but who still do so much for this country, because America was built by immigrants, we cannot try to tear them and their families apart. I march, for myself, because i’d rather be apart of the action, than the causation. I march, for myself, because I know I am as much a part of history, as I am a part of the future.
Tessa, March on Washington –
Why I march is to show that we are stronger together through our differences, black, white, young, old, gay, straight, if we stand together against rape culture perpetrated by our president, we will win.
Olivia, March on Washington –
I march because I believe that it is no one else’s business what a woman does with her own body. I march because there are thousands of women who are unable to. I march because it is 2017 and we cannot go back. We will not go back. I march for every individual who will be affected by this inauguration.
Holly, March on Boston –
I march for myself and all the women out there who feel oppressed. I march for the message we are sending that we deserve to be treated equally no matter what race, or sexual orientation we are. We’ve been fighting for a long time and will not stop until justice is achieved for all. Power to the p*ssy!
Hannah, March on Boston –
I marched in honor of women everywhere on Saturday. I marched for my incredible and brilliant sister, my strong and resilient mother, my amazing friends- near and far, and every woman and girl who is deserving of every opportunity and equal rights. Sometimes it feels as though our individual voices are so small, but together we demanded to be heard. The amazing thing about all of the marches was the spirit seen in each woman knowing that future is filled with a lot of hope despite our current situation. We as women have made incredible strides, but we still have ways to go until we are all equal. Times are tough, but women are tougher.