Many of you will have been on Women’s Marches around the world this weekend and I’m sure like us, you will had an amazingly uplifting and positive experience. The sun shone as we stood in Grovesnor Square among the banners and chanting, waiting to make our way through central London, to show our solidarity with those in the US and to stand up for the human rights we feel are being slowly eroded in the face of the increasing shift to the right around the world.
Across the world women (and men) marched in their millions – all races, ages and classes united in their knowledge that this can’t be allowed to happen and that we have to stand up for the rights our our mothers and grandmothers fought so hard for.
As the mother of a twenty year old who has been reluctant to call herself a feminist – not because she isn’t one, but because she hasn’t felt the need for a label – I was proud to march alongside her and see her take it all in. Growing up is all about seeing the bigger picture and understanding your place in the world and being part of something so powerful can help put things into perspective. Our core values and human rights are being questioned and the generation who haven’t felt the need to stand up and fight are being galvanised into action – and surely this can only be a good thing.
Our Whats App group was on fire all day Sunday as we discussed what it all means and how we can keep up the momentum. Sadly things will get much much worse before they get better and this feels like the beginning. The fact that none of the Sunday papers (apart from a small picture on the Times) featured the marches on their front pages, proves that we are not being taken seriously and the only way this will stop is by taking action every time we feel it’s needed – globally and locally.
Joining an organisation such as The Womens Equality party or The United States of Women, is a good start and as someone in our group suggested, we could write to Teresa May ahead of her meeting with Trump this week – as she really does have the power to do something. Her email is [email protected].
Here are a few of our favourite banners from London – and see you at the next one.
I was massively disappointed about the press coverage of the march. I dashed to read the papers on Sunday, expecting the huge impact the day had had on me to be represented at least on the front page, but no! There were tens of thousands of women and men peacefully and happily bringing London to a stand still, but you’d never have known that looking along the newsagents shelf Sunday morning.
I loved marching with eldestson and his girlfriend at my side and I’m proud that he was there as a staunch feminist too. Boys and girls need the message of equality. Ax
Also….
My fav banner of the day which sadly I didn’t get a snap of was ‘Lesbian Librarians Want Books Not Crooks’. fab. Ax
I’m very sorry not to have been able to make it – especially as I had made a banner that said
“we’re jolly cross”! (with a female sign for the “O”s obvs).
Thank you for all the women who did march – so proud!
Having been on the March in LA with 3 friends and 25 year old goddaughter we joined 100’s and 100’s of thousands there, it was quite extraordinary , and on Sunday covered very well in the papers and on tv, I am so disappointed to read that there was virtually no coverage in the Uk , what is that about? When does he arrive ? We need to have another massive march to ‘welcome’ him to the UK…
Well done you and all the others who marched. It will be interesting to see if one of the positive outcomes of Trump is a revival of not just the women’s movement but an increasing awareness of the need for each of us to stand up for social justice for ourselves and for others. I wonder if trades unions will also see increased membership which has been falling steadily over the last two decades.
Thank you for your coverage, really positive and encouraging. Well done sisters!
Thanks for your support everyone – hoping we have more coverage throughout this week. Our press is very anti Trump but not so pro women it seems!! Watch this space
Jane x
This display is so disgusting and what did it really accomplish? From the many women across the world this is an insult to their plight in what they are truly suffering. These so call women of virtue likely had the day off to play in the streets. Being loud an obnoxious is what they are railing about, I see them doing the same damn thing.
Gosh PSL – you have got your knickers in a twist haven’t you? Nobody said they were virtuous, just exercising our rights whilst we have them. And as for “loud and obnoxious”… you’re just being silly – aren’t you?
I marched too – with my home grown feminist husband. I am 70 in just over 3 weeks. For me going into, maybe the last decade of my life, the world seems a very alien and uncertain place. The march was great, uplifting, not loud or obnoxious and about solidarity with other women in all countries – not just the US. After all Pres. T’s action on restrictons place on overseas aid in relation to family planning affects women in Africa & beyond. I think the marches demonstated that we are not oblivious to the plight of women, and men, who are in poverty and disenfranchised. Beside me was walking an South Asian older woman, probably older than myself, with her daughter. The mothef didn’t speak English but her daughter said that her mother felt strongly about achieving equality and human rights for women.