Students from H-F were among the estimated 10,000 people in attendance at Women’s March Chicago 2020.
This protest encourages women to stand together in solidarity, push women to run for political office and societal change.
On Saturday Jan. 18, marchers started in Grant Park and marched to Federal Plaza. Each segment of the march was designated to a specific issue that is facing our country: 2020 census, climate change, gun violence, health care and voting rights.
Marchers shouted issue based chants on each segment of the march. For example for voting rights “We are the majority. We are the popular vote.”
Demonstrators also gathered in several cities nationwide, including New York City and Washington D.C. to raise awareness for similar issues.
Among the 10,000 participants in the march were four H-F students and one graduate from H-F (Rebecca Brandt, Ellery Homrich, Ella Bolling, Ella Ermshler and Fiorella Micheils).
“I wanted to march to show my support for all the women in my life. I march to keep the momentum going and to try and get my voice heard,” senior Rebecca Brandt said. “I know there’s a long way to go for women’s rights, and I want to do everything in my power to help the movement.”
These women wanted to march for many different reasons those ranging from societal change to showing little girls in the world they are capable of many things.
“I want to see changes in society now and for our future. I don’t want to sit around and just hope things happen, I want to be apart of changes and know that I did something to make changes,” junior Ellery Homrich said.
The Women’s March was created in 2017 when President Donald J. Trump was elected into office. According to accounts from protesters, women were disgusted by the way Trump talked about women and how he used his celebrity status as a defense for treating women poorly.
In response to the Trump winning the election women started posting that there needed to be a pro-woman protest. After this idea started trending on social media, organizers began planning marches all over the world. What was just a small idea by one woman became a global movement in less than three months.
“I think that the women’s march is as important now as ever, especially with the impeachment trial going on. The march began in opposition to Trump,” Brandt said. “This march symbolizes the strength of all women and shows that we will not back down, no matter how long we have to fight.”
The march has gone on for three years now and the issues people were marching for in 2017 still matter today, a lot of people actually believe that not many issues have been resolved.
“I think it’s still important to march especially in a voting year because there are still so many issues have not been resolved such as equal pay and women’s control over her own body,” junior Ella Bolling said. So we march to show that still today our country does not demonstrate the equality we deserve.”
The many youths in our country are hopeful for the future. They hope that with time and the new generation coming into office they can resolve many of the pressing issues facing women in society.
“I hope that by marching we are able to make people more aware of the issues of our country and hopefully get more voters to the polls this November,” Bolling said.
Although not much has changed in the three years of the movement, marchers are hopeful for the future.
“I hope that the march gets lots of media attention and is very influential, not only to policy makers, but also other women and men, especially the younger generations,” Brandt said. “Our voices are key to keeping the movement going, and we need all the allies we can get. I hope the march inspires others to join political movements that they believe in, especially intersectional women’s rights.”
Overall, the H-F students had a very positive experience at the Women’s March and hope that the march will bring societal change.