I’ve had a lot of my friends, coworkers, and family ask me this same question. What is the Women’s March? Here are a few quick answers to the questions I’ve been receiving since participating in the 2018 Women’s March.
What are you marching for?
A: Everyone marches for different issues. The overarching items are women’s rights (all women), immigration reform, health care, gender and sexual equality, racial equality, scientific study of the environment, and many other items. For myself, I was mainly there to support women voters, women representation in government and work, as well as standing up for human trafficking and illegal deportation. These were not the only reasons I marched but were the things that I’ve been fighting for the longest and feel a strong personal connection to.
Where are these marches located?
A: There are several marches which spanned the entire weekend. On the Power to the Polls website, you can access a map and find a march near you. Mine was at our state capital in Lansing, MI.
Okay, you marched, now what?
A: One of my criticisms of my particular location’s march was that they didn’t explicitly state what we can do to empower ourselves and help others after the march. Thankfully, on their website there is a whole list of action items that we can all, men and women, participate in. One of the first steps is registering to vote. I’m ashamed to say that a few years ago I thought that my voice was meaningless in the sea of opposition. It took a close friend explaining to me and showing me how one vote is more than that. When we vote we talk, influence, and inspire. I will not go back to my naive apathy.
Did you even march?
A: No, surprisingly at our location we circled around the state’s capital and listened to a variety of women speakers tell their story and inspire change in their communities. Some locations do actually walk, but not all.
Why should others care about the Women’s March?
A: It is imperative that we all take action for those who can’t. As a former Special Education teacher, I’ve seen many of my students get mistreated by staff, parents, and students because they can not fight back on their own. As a woman, I’ve been so blessed to not be a victim of sexual assault or even rape. I’ve never been taken from my family and sold as a child bride. I was never put into modern-day slavery to pay for my family to eat. I’ve not had my mother deported for being brought to this country as a child. I’m not made fun of for my looks, mannerisms, or presentation. But, there are people who are. This is why I attended the march. I wanted to stand up for those people. To protect other humans who need help. At the core of the march, I believe this is the key driver and message of the event.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience. I plan on attending next year if I am able. I urge all who read this article to take charge and register to vote. Read read read. Please be aware of the issues around you and research what we are fighting for. I’ve spoken to so many people who are ignorant of major issues going on such as the DACA reform and government shutdown. Whatever your views please stand up for others in your personal, professional, and public lives.
Tangled Slinkys 
Thank you for the info 🙂 I can see that there are many topics of the Women’s March that I’d support, but a few I wouldn’t. I assume that I’m not alone in that camp. How do you handle that dilemma when going to the event?
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Hey, thank you for reading my post! I love sharing my experience with others. You are definitely not alone in supporting some views of a group, experience, or event. I think it is impossible to agree with anything 100%. I think about movies as a great example. There are a lot of films and books that I adore and that I tell all of my friends about, but may not represent all of my views. I do not support witchcraft as an actual practice, but I love the Harry Potter series and have read all of the books since I was a kid. Things like this fall in a gray area and can be tough to work through. For me, the Women’s March was definitely one of those things where I had to pray about my own motivation. It was very much a WWJD moment. At the end of the day, I would rather attend and explain my view as a Christian to others, then not attend and avoid those tough talks. It is not an event for everyone and shouldn’t be. Very much like attending a movie or concert people will judge you based on what you support, but if your heart is going in it for the right reasons you will have an impact no matter what. Complicated issue girl, hope this answers your question.
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