This past Saturday, all four of us participated in the local Women’s March.  A sister march to the one that took place in Washington, and the ones that took place all over the world.  On many levels, I am so thankful we went.  The level of positivity was so comforting.  The people were beyond kind.  I had multiple people tell our littlest one that they loved her with completely open hearts.  It’s an experience that I wish I could share with my children more regularly.

Unfortunately, in the days that followed I experienced a bit of backlash from people I care about.  Some direct.  Some just passive aggressive posts on Facebook that lumped those who marched in neat little boxes.  And I’ll be honest, it’s hard not to get discouraged.  I tell myself that it’s okay that people have different beliefs (something I truly believe) and try to remind myself that they don’t dislike me personally, but sometimes that’s hard and it’s something I wish more people would be aware of.  It’s something I work really consciously at personally.  I like having informed conversations and while I may not understand the views some other people hold that are in opposition to my own, I do try my best to understand their point of view and make a point of never shaming them for what they believe.

So, since we do have people in our lives who don’t understand and might be curious, I’d like to take some time to explain why we marched and why we thought it was important that our children be there as well.

We marched because:

• white women still make 79 cents on the dollar to white men and that number goes down significantly if you are an African American or Hispanic woman
• feminine hygiene products are taxed in a way that not even Rogaine or Viagra are
• the current administration does not believe birth control should be covered by insurance and yet are trying to limit your options if you get pregnant
• when employers were presented with two identical resumes and the only difference are feminine or masculine names, the masculine name were more likely to get the interview
• when a man raped his daughter many times, he only received 60 days in jail
• while I am only penalized by some due to my gender, there are many women who are penalized twice (gender and race), three times (gender, race, sexual orientation) and the list goes on inluding trans women, socio-economic status etc.
• we believe that your religion (unless you’re full on crazy cult status) should have no bearing on your worth as a person or your ability to be an amazing person
• there are many women who are so blessed that they don’t see the oppression.  They have lived lives that have not involved the struggle that many women face.  And to be honest, for that I am thankful.  I wish we could all be so lucky.  Personally,  I recognize my privilege to the best of my ability but won’t give up just because I’m privileged  White women aren’t the only women and I hope to support other women as much, or as little, as they would like me to.

On a more personal level I walked because;

• when I worked in an auto parts store as a teen, some of the older guys who worked there had to be close to me while I would wait for my ride because customers would hit on me even though I was underage.
• when I picked a major I was passionate about in college, it was joked that I was only after a MRS degree since it was a predominately female field
• when I was assaulted by a boy I liked in college and rejected him, he and his friends tormented me for months and no one stood up for me, male or female.  I was made to feel crazy and it took awhile for me to understand the weight of what happened and the likelihood that if I’d spoken up and spoken out, there is a high chance he would have been at least kicked out of housing.

Women have made so many strides over the last 100+ years in particular; but, just because things are better, it doesn’t mean we should accept the status quo.  It’s important to empower women and create an environment where they can feel like they can do anything.  Especially because not every girl is blessed to grow up in a home where they are told they are strong, they are smart, and they can achieve greatness.  Until every girl grows up knowing these truths there will continue to be work to do.

While we work hard to teach these things to our girls at home, it never hurts to have thousands of men and women backing you up, telling your children that they believe in them too.  Plus, marching in the pouring rain with people banging drums and chanting positive messages is a really fantastic feeling.  Even if you look like you fell in the ocean by the end. 🙂

When I told the girls there would be people with signs, they demanded their own. When I asked what they wanted them to say, the four year old said “I think boys and girls are just as good as each other” and the 2 year old said “I love you just because I know you.”