Donald Trump will become the 45th president of the United States this Friday, and on Saturday, women across the world are uniting to protest against it.
The March on Washington will see women expressing their concerns about the most powerful position in the world belonging to a man who has boasted about ‘pussy-grabbing’, threatened to end abortion rights and called women a litany of misogynistic names.
'We believe that Women’s Rights are Human Rights and Human Rights are Women’s Rights,' it explains in the march's mission statement. 'We must create a society in which women - including Black women, Native women, poor women, immigrant women, Muslim women, lesbian queer and trans women - are free and able to care for and nurture their families, however they are formed, in safe and healthy environments free from structural impediments.'
Yet there's more on the agenda than simply being 'anti-Trump'. The march organiser's manifesto talks about wanting to raise awareness of women's rights in general - from equality of the sexes in the work place to ending domestic violence.
Of course, women were far from the only group to be discriminated against in Trump’s extremely negative campaign, and the march organisers are keen to stress that they are inclusive of everyone who feels victimised by him.
‘This is an INCLUSIVE march, and EVERYONE who supports women's rights are welcome,’ it says on the official Facebook event. ‘The rhetoric of the past election cycle has insulted, demonised, and threatened many of us - women, immigrants of all statuses, those with diverse religious faiths particularly Muslim, people who identify as LGBTQIA, Native and Indigenous people, Black and Brown people, people with disabilities, the economically impoverished and survivors of sexual assault. We are confronted with the question of how to move forward in the face of national and international concern and fear.’
What started as a grassroots campaign by a Hawaiian grandmother has escalated rapidly, with 616 sister marches planned across the world – from Buenos Aires to Cape Town and of course London - with an estimated 1,032,110 people protesting. The campaign even has the backing of several Hollywood A-listers, including Scarlett Johansson, Katy Perry and Amy Schumer.
‘We will march, wherever we march, for the protection of our fundamental rights and for the safeguarding of freedoms threatened by recent political events,’ says the official London march website. ‘We unite and stand together for the dignity and equality of all peoples, for the safety and health of our planet and for the strength of our vibrant and diverse communities.’
Hear, hear!
So, if you want to show your support for women’s rights on the first day that Trump is in office, join us at the US Embassy at 12pm on Saturday. For the full route, visit the Women’s March on London website.
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