Women’s March: walking the walk

and talking the talk

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Photo by Reese Mauro

During the St. Louis Women’s March. protesters rally with signs reading messages “Unlearn Sexism; End Rape Culture; Slay the Patriarchy.” Thousands marched in the STL rally. “We are not saying we hate men, we are saying we need equality,” junior Reese Mauro, march attendee, said.

By the use of angry and bigoted rhetoric, those in power are able to demonize the act of protest through media, and the attempts to invalidate the Women’s March on Washington D.C. stands as a powerful example of that.

Protesting has always been met with countering opinions, varying from roaring agreement to raging disapproval. On Jan. 21, the Women’s March became a nationwide, and worldwide, outcry as millions of women and allies rallied together to advocate what seems obvious: women’s rights are human rights.

Being the largest day of protest in US history, the Women’s March in Washington D.C. rallied over 575,000 marchers, while the accompanying “sister marches” across the USA gathered a total of over 3,950,000 protesters, as well as nearly 300,000 outside the United States. One of the sister marches was right in St. Louis, which amassed around 20,000 marchers. Of that crowd, WHS junior Reese Mauro was able to attend.

“[Being at the March] was pretty surreal,” Mauro said. “It felt like I was witnessing history.”

The peaceful STL march, resulting in zero arrests or police violence, held the atmosphere of love and acceptance. Mauro was met with thousands of people who held the same beliefs as her.

“I felt like I finally found people who felt the exact same way as me. I felt very connected,” Mauro said.

Even with the vast turnout and the large media coverage, the public still continues to misinterpret the motives of the marchers.

“A lot of people think the women marching are only marching for those within the United States, but really we are marching for all women and the rights for our bodies,” Mauro said.

Many have argued that those marching already have “all the rights,” but even though they don’t, they are also marching for those who don’t have the ability to speak out.

“I marched for the women in other countries who are being sold as property, and those who don’t have a say in what they want in their lives,” Mauro said. “And for the women within our own country fighting sexism.”

According to some, sexism has been eradicated from this country. But ingrained sexism has its way of showing its face through the objectification of women, the lack of accessibility to contraceptive health care, the wish to defund Planned Parenthood and the controversial fight over abortion.

“I do believe that women are still systematically oppressed in our country, despite all of the advancements that we have had,” Mauro said. “Our world is still not perfect.”

In the media and in the classroom, society continues to police women’s bodies, and recent public figures voicing their opinions on women has shown the degenerate state of society. Many believe that the truth that other women have it worse shouldn’t invalidate the issues women face in America.

“[Marching is] doing more than if we were to stay silent,” Mauro said.

There is no change without some sort of revolution.

“We continue to fight for true equality for all,” Mauro said. “No matter your gender, ethnicity or sexuality.”

Photos by Reese Mauro