The Women's March; Hardly About Women Anymore
I should preface that as much as I love all of us coming together, the Women’s March isn’t just about how many women show up; it is more than statistics, it is more than optics. So how is it that the Women’s March, is hardly about women anymore?
This March has a purpose, or at least it was supposed to. It’s a critically important concept because it’s about addressing the things affecting all women today. We March to bring light to those things that are continuously swept under the rug, such as ending violence against women, advocating for freedom of reproductive rights, and disability, immigrant and LGBTQIA rights, amongst many other issues. And the Women’s March, if functioning as intended, is about women uniting to achieve these goals. So, why is it that this year’s message from the Women’s March had hardly anything to do with women?
Despite what their listed principles were, the entire event revolved around hating Trump, climate change and immigration rights. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying these aren’t essential and important matters, or that they don’t affect women in general, but do you see where I’m getting at here? Is this the ideal space in which to address these issues? Will this best benefit the women in attendance and the women for which we are marching?
Said to have responded to significant feedback from their community partners and participants, the Women’s March organizers shortened the time of speakers, but was that the only problem in need of addressing? I’m having trouble seeing how Environmental Justice needs to be a priority in a march about women’s issues. As a sexual assault survivor whose case was dismissed by her college, I can tell you first hand that a campaign aimed at educating and ending rape on campus would have been a more woman-centred and better topic to cover.
I think this issue of priority is the most problematic- we’re losing sight of what constitutes female struggles in this country and the cause of these. This year was more Trump-centric than ever before. The agenda, the politicians, the speakers, the partners; they only seemed to be concerned with their deep hatred and distrust towards Trump and his government. But herein lies the issue- they failed to grasp is that Trump is merely a symptom of the institutional patriarchy; he is not the cause, nor will his removal be the sole solution. I highly doubt that Trump getting impeached (or as this article came to be published; acquitted) would have impacted on my college’s decision to from protecting a rapist because he was a senior and they “didn’t want to ruin his life”. Instead complicit, to ruin mine. Getting rid of one corrupt man isn’t going to fix the deep-rooted corruption in our nation magically.
And Trump, not only the focus of all the speakers, was radically present amongst all of the audience. I do not deny that this is the day and opportunity to express yourself and your beliefs, but in my opinion, I believe a line needs to be drawn and here's why. First of all, the March was intended to be a ‘family-friendly’ event, and yet there were graphic posters of Trump everywhere. Some were comparing him to Hitler, his head on a pike, baby Trump (admittedly, this one was a little funny) and other graphic things that shouldn’t be present where kids are. It’s inappropriate, no matter who it is.
I've learned, that in the lead up to presidential elections, the left and right become extremely radical and extreme in their positions. Should one hold a different opinion, their reductionism knows no low, and you essentially become a label; a sexist, racist, homophobic, etc. I’m not kidding; I was called a neo-Nazi by a mom with her two kids because I said I owned that I was moderate while registering to vote. Do you know why I’m moderate? Because both sides offer nothing short of more propagating of hate, erasure, continuously failing to provide tangible, people-driven solutions.
Secondly, in preparation for writing this piece, I reached out to others about the lack of diversity and inclusiveness at the March. I wanted to make sure this was addressed: The Women’s March is not inclusive enuogh of black and brown women and this year it appeared to be more and more classist and establishment than ever before. This is deeply problematic because establishment democrats are leftists who seem satisfied with the status quo: capitalism. Seemingly, they want to tweak things around a tiny bit rather than completely overriding the system. They want control of America, and they only see their only threat in the Republicans (GOP) and Trump, and they will make sure nothing will get in their way. The working class and many people of colour (POC) have called for a whole new system of government and economics. Still, establishment democrats have not even acknowledged this, and it is the most dangerous form of affluence or elitism because it is leading to a more dangerous form of erasure. The solution: we need more diversity in general, and we need more diversity within the establishment.
And why were there politicians speaking at The Women’s March in the first place? With their transparent agendas, and out of touch soliloquies. We are having these marches because of them. On this day, I didn’t want to hear anything more from them. I wanted real stories from real people, from their community because they’re the ones that know what needs to be changed. I wanted to hear from people like me: survivors. We’re not asking for politicians to relate to us; we’re asking to be heard. Their presence is necessary, but they need not speak. They need only to listen. Listen to your constituents- listen to those who have suffered and take action. That’s the whole point of marches! The March should not be another platform for politicians, but rather to provide a safe space and forum for the people. Politicians, hear us roar! Or in this case- whistle, sing, call out and dance.
A potentially unique event where women have taken the opportunity to express themselves, the Women’s March has the power to give a platform to a united women’s voice. But how can one truly express their beliefs if it is systematically being reduced to fit the establishment’s agenda? I think it’s safe to assume that if things don’t drastically change, many will hang up our march signs next January.
About the Author:
To find out more about Hannah, the author of this piece, you can read her bio here, or follow her on Instagram at accounts @elizaspeaks and her personal account. To read more of her work visit her blog Eliza Speaks, in which she shares her thoughts, and experiences on activism, relationships and feminism.