Origin
On January 21, 2017 the first Women’s March was held on the day following the Inauguration of President Donald Trump. During the 2016 presidential election, an audio recording of Donald Trump saying obscenities stating he can force himself upon women was met with backlash. Trump simply dismissed his claims as “locker room” talk. There were also claims of sexual harassment against Mr. Trump, in which he vehemently denied.
The concept of a march first arose on the social media website Facebook by Teresa Shook, who stated the idea that a pro-women march needed to happen as a result of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign which was filled with sexist sentiments. Quickly, the idea gained steam and thousands around the country began to sign up to participate. Soon veteran and seasoned activists began to plan the large scale protest in Washington D.C. on the day following Trump induction as the president of the United States.
The organizers of the protests projected 200,00 participates, instead somewhere between 500,000 -1 million people showed up to participate on the streets of Washington D.C. This along with sister marches held in other cities throughout the country resulted in over 4.1 million people participating throughout the country. The promotion behind the march was aimed at promoting rights for those seen as vulnerable in the new administration, which resulted in an array of different people showing up to support the cause.
The Marches have been held annually since 2017, with the next scheduled march to take place on January 19, 2019.
Mission
The goal of the Women’s March is to gather diverse women in order to gain political power for social change. The Women’s March is a movement lead by women with the intent to facilitate an intersection for education on diversity, and to generate a passage for other activists & organizers to interact with their neighborhoods through the use of training seminars, and other outreach programs. The Women’s March is devoted to the dismemberment of oppression through the use of nonviolent defiance and creating an inclusive system lead by integrity, self determination, and honor.
Unity Principles
Ending Violence
Reproductive Rights
LGBTQIA RIGHTS
Workers Rights
Civil Rights
Disability Rights
Immigrants Rights
Environmental rights
The Unity Principles are list of the goals The Women March aspires to reach. The list was created by a diverse group of leaders at The Women's March on Washington and includes a wide range of topics aimed at creating diversity & equality in society. This list represents a new and fresh way of interpreting a collective list of human struggles with a vision of liberation. The Unity principles is seen as the driving force behind the movement.
“We believe that Women’s Rights are Human Rights and Human Rights are Women’s Rights” as stated on their website. The mission is to create a society catered to equality in which women are able to care for their families freely, and in a safe environment free of hinderance - women including those who are disabled, poor, immigrants, Native American, Black, White, straight, lesbian, trans and any other qualities that make women unique.
Affiliations
The Women’s March has branched off into other activists movements including Women's March Presents: Power to the Polls, and Women's March Youth Empower. This movements are aimed respectably at a encouraging women to vote, and empowering young women.
Connection to Feminism
The Women's March is a gateway into what feminism can represent. The march was designed to promote equality for those deemed vulnerable by society. The large variety of groups the march targets to represent is commendable (i.e. women, LBGTQ, disabled individuals, etc.) They wanted it to be more than just about women. Women came together to fight for social justice. This rally for equality shows just how strong women are, and exemplifies how when women come together they are a force to be reckoned with. The Women’s March showcases what feminism is, which is women being fearless in the face of discrimination of all kinds.