This weekend, I used my small portal to the world (ie: my phone)(from the couch)(because pregnant) to view hundreds of pictures. These pictures featured thousands of signs and millions of women all over the world uniting in solidarity.
They were all participating in the Women’s March.
The Women’s March has certainly received mixed reviews, and I have mixed emotions and reactions from all of the different messages and different displays from around the world. There’s also an infinite supply of praise (as well as criticisms)(because, of course, the internet) to review.
- Obviously, as a woman, I identify with personal reflections on women’s rights, such as how the gender wage gap is real, and that women’s health initiatives. Sure, they’ve come a long way but are nowhere near perfect. And yes, women’s health IS NOT limited strictly to abortion. It’s about reproductive rights, it’s about access to cancer screenings, and it lends itself to working mothers who need to continue breastfeed. From that aspect, I fully support the women’s march.
- As a business owner, I understand that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and monetary lines must be drawn somewhere. For that reason, I cannot identify wholly with some of the obvious and specific liberal demands of the women’s march.
- As a moderate voter, I have an inherent distrust of politicians on a federal level in political parties (major and independent), but I still vote. For that reason, I definitely identify with a lot of the motives behind the march – but not all.
- As an event planner, I know that these types of things don’t happen overnight. Someone is benefiting from free advertising, someone is making a googab of money from these efforts. The most interesting piece I found on this was right here.
Who is a common denominator in “@womensmarch“? A ♂! Anti-Trump George Soros. My @WomenintheWorld piece follows the? https://t.co/6FmS3IkXU2
— Asra Q. Nomani (@AsraNomani) January 21, 2017
No matter where you lie on the political spectrum, whether you understood and glorified the march, or whether you’re taking a direct stand against everything the march was for – I think we can all agree on one thing.
Our work isn’t done.
Our work will never be done, and to be honest, I don’t know a single solitary woman who isn’t afraid of a little hard work. If you’re reading this, I bet you’ve stayed up on a deadline or volunteered to get something accomplished. I bet you’ve scarified something – paid or unpaid – to get shit done. Because that’s what ladies do.
Whether you supported the women’s march or not, whether you support our current president or not, I highly encourage you to consider the following call to actions as a result of the Women’s March and to keep the momentum of this movement going:
- Donate to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), or, if you can’t afford to donate, write about it on your platforms. Education is super powerful. A lot of citizens need help. A lot of citizens are angry and/or scared. I bet a lot of those angry/scared citizens who need the services of the ACLU don’t even know about it. Use your influence to broadcast the efforts of the ACLU:
- Protect free speech and the right to protest
- Fight relentless attacks on reproductive freedom
- Push for reforms to our racially-biased criminal justice system
- Become an Ally. I became a registered Ally during my time at Texas State University, and I got one of the little signs to put outside of my office. I was not alone, either. Having silent indicators of your support for marginalized groups of people can be a powerful weapon against miscommunication, can empower those in your community, and more.
- Hold the door open for someone who doesn’t look like you. Or let them into traffic. Really, just anything nice for someone else you encounter in public spaces during the day. Sometimes all we have to go on is looks, and misinterpretation happens easily. Very, very easily.
- Become a mentoring big brother or big sister. A lot of children in our communities are susceptible to the millions of negative ideas – an unfortunate side effect of this new, connected culture. They often need someone to talk to, but don’t want to disappoint their parents, can’t trust anyone at school, and aren’t connected to any other group leaders.
- Get active in local communities: the truth is, no president will ever walk down your city street and permanently change it or your neighbors. Go to city council meetings. If you know a parent with a child in the local school district, ask about what’s going on with that school. If someone complains about something local, challenge them by asking what they plan to do about it (besides complain, of course).
- Get real mad about women’s rights in other countries. Real damn mad. I wish I had some options for you on how to rectify these predicaments. If anyone has resources, PLEASE leave them in the comments and I will update this post accordingly.
- Get informed and involved about sex trafficking. The National Human Trafficking Hotline website is filled with resources about identifying the warning signs of sex trafficking, resources, and partnerships. Having lived in San Antonio, Texas for awhile; I can tell you the locality of the problem is severe. It’s also reported that the superbowl is the biggest sex trafficking money-making event of the year, so the information is not only necessary, but timely.
- Stop beginning your sentences with actually. Because you actually sound like an asshole. We live in a culture where people are convinced they are geniuses after having read one article. Viral stories spread faster than gossip; true or untrue. People are on edge and already unwilling to fully absorb your message. Be patient. Use respectful language. Ever so quickly are many to hack away at their computer or phone in the efforts for likes and disagreements.
- Lastly, please don’t create an environment for your daughters to have a ‘hate white men’ default setting. I will be raising a white son soon (a damn respectable and contributing member of society who understands that all people are equal), and I would hate to think that in the future, he will be part of the new marginalized culture. To face the battles that we have faced as women. To teach your daughters that would be an embodiment of ‘an eye for an eye’ – which leaves everyone blind.
I welcome any other suggestions for powerful, motivational, and positive community efforts in the comments below 🙂
