“When they go low, we go high.”—Michelle Obama, 2016.
Three years after more than 4 million women around the country and world flooded the streets in protest of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, demonstrators once again came together for the fourth-annual “Women’s March.”
Today, January 18, 2020, marchers gathered across the country taking the streets despite the cold weather with speakers on stage and on the ground, loudly conveying their voices for all to hear. Their ultimate message? “We are here to stay.”
Women’s March is a women-led protest hat takes place once a year, covering a diverse range of issues regarding women’s rights. The first march that took place in 2017 became the largest single-day protest in U.S. history, with millions of individuals protesting across the country.
But, every year they choose a certain theme to abide by when protesting.
The 2020 Women’s March is centered around four political issues: immigration, climate change, abortion rights, and this year’s presidential election. Along with the hashtag “#WomenRising2020,” they quote on their website, “In 2020 women are bolder and stronger than ever.”
“The real value of the Women’s March movement has been that it has been an entry point for new activists. Many people who attended a Women’s March in 2017 were new to activism and the political process. Over the past three years, we have seen these people funneled into a variety of causes and organizations, from Planned Parenthood to Black Lives Matter to Families Belong Together to electoral work,” said Alexandra Elizabeth, Vice-President of Florida’s Women’s March Board.
In 2006, Tarana Burke, a civil rights activist, coined the phrase “Me Too” as a way to help women who had survived sexual violence.
Fast-forward more than 13 years later, the phrase has been reignited as the slogan of the anti-sexual harassment movement, especially in the Women’s March. This movement has rocked some of the most powerful men in entertainment and politics and its timeline continues to rapidly build.
It has brought women together and has empowered a constantly increasing amount of women to speak up.
“The Women’s March has certainly empowered women to speak out against their abusers. This movement reminds us that survivors are not alone, and that there are thousands of other women and survivors who have our backs,” said Elizabeth.
“I do hope that the #MeToo movement will begin to focus more on the women of color, the immigrants, the economically disadvantaged, the LGBTQIA+ people who have survived sexual assault, not just the straight white women. The most marginalized among us are often the last to have their voices heard- they need to be the first,” she continued.
Today concludes a week of pre-march events including panels and speeches on abortion rights, climate change, and immigration. Next year, many hope to encounter an even bigger turnout based on the results of this year’s presidential election.
The Women’s March was one of the most inspiring moments I’ve ever witnessed in politics. As women gather again for #WomensMarch2020—it's clear that this movement is growing. We’re leading the fight for this democracy, proving time and again how just much we can accomplish. pic.twitter.com/tpq3gDZ39j
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) January 18, 2020
.@realDonaldTrump, We welcomed you to the office of the presidency with the largest single day protest in US history. You can’t blur that. It’s for life. It’s recorded history. You will not erase us. You can’t erase us. https://t.co/TJoFqzw5up pic.twitter.com/4PAcryKfLk
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) January 18, 2020
Every year the signs from the #WomensMarch are so inspiring.
— Women's March (@womensmarch) January 18, 2020
Did you bring yours today? Share it with us and we'll RT!#WomenRising #WomensMarch2020 pic.twitter.com/lsonKXLNDB
The Women’s March is gathering right now at Freedom Plaza in D.C.
— Read No Shortcuts (@JoshuaPHilll) January 18, 2020
https://t.co/BOIUV19nPW
The 4th Women’s March in (mostly red) NAPLES, Florida. pic.twitter.com/3lakbJh31g
— PhillyHead/FloridaAddress💙🇺🇸🦅 (@lizmattphilly) January 18, 2020
