Being a part of the Women's March on Washington was one of the most empowering moments of my life, and it will likely go down in the history books as well. The feeling of being surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people who were also committed to equality, diversity, and democracy was reenergizing in the wake of an election that shocked and divided our country.Yet, my high from the march was crushed the following day when I woke up to comments by friends, family, and trolls on the Internet dismissing the marchers. Some on the right thought that American women have no reason to complain or that the march was disrespectful. Others on the left thought the march was the epitome of non-intersectional feminism. There have been plenty of think pieces dedicated to the Women's March, but I want to add my voice, hoping it will reach those in my network who have kept a closed mind.
Why we marched
While women have made large strides in the past few decades and have the illusion of equality, we still face many barriers that men don't.Some glass ceilings have shattered, yet women still aren't respected in the workplace: women don't get the same pay for equal work, are discriminated against in fields ranging from STEM to music, and are absent from leadership roles in corporate world, nonprofit world, and government. In and outside the workplace, women are subjected to a culture which tells women that they should be beautiful and not smart, that being a stay at home mom, working mom, or no mom at all is each a unique betrayal to womanhood, that being assertive is "bossy," etc, etc, etc ad infinitum. This culminates in rape culture, through which men harass women on the streets, at home, and on campuses with little or no consequence. Corporations even turn around and use these sexist fantasies to market products. That doesn't even get into the male lawmakers who deny women their constitutional right to abortion and reproduction freedom.
Think globally, act locally
Do women in other parts of the world have it worse? Absolutely, but women in some countries also have it better than American women do. As an American citizen, however, I have a civic duty to stand up for my values in my own community. Marching in the streets is not disrespectful to women in sexist countries; it is an act of solidarity. Marching in the streets is not disrespectful to Mr. Trump either; it is a patriotic embrace of my right to freedom of speech and assembly. Do you know what is disrespectful? Mr. Trump's treatment of women.
Women's issues are intersectional
The Women's March was about so much more than women's issues; rather, the march recognized that immigrant rights, black lives matter, LGBT rights, climate action, and gun control are also women's issues. They matter to women and they matter for women's equality, as the fight to end sexism, racism, and homophobia are all intertwined. And men are willing to join us in the fight.
Early on, the march was criticized for not including women of color, and the organizers quickly reacted and included diverse women in their leadership. From the leadership to the people in the streets, people of all walks of lives were represented at the march. That's why it disappointed me to read this Medium article criticizing the march. I can't deny her experience, but I can speak to my own: I heard loud chants of "black lives matter" and "trans lives matter" as I marched alongside women of all abilities, ages, color, shapes, and zipcodes. As to the comment that it was disrespectful to shout "march" over Janelle Monae's #SayHerName/ BLM performance, the reality was that most marchers couldn't hear her or any of the other speakers due to poor A/V planning. We had been standing in the crowd for hours with no clear communication about why the march hadn't started and eager to take to the streets.Criticism isn't action in itself
It is easy for both sides to be critical, especially given the shear magnitude of the Women's March. While critical thinking should be encouraged, criticism without action accomplishes the same as silence. Sitting at your computer making memes isn't going to change things. Getting hundreds of thousands of people in the street will.
So if you think that American women can't complain since women "have it worse" in Saudi Arabia, what are you doing to help those women? If you think that the women's march is excluding important groups, what are you doing to make the movement more inclusive? If your life is perfect and you have nothing to complain about, what are you going to do for those who are less privileged? I know what I am going to do: I am going to continue to march, to write my representatives, and to advocate for equality loud and clear. History has its eyes on us.
***
More information about the Women's March on Washington:
Vision and mission statement
Full recording of speakers and performers
10 Actions for the First 100 Days campaign
