By Crystal Stevens
On January 21st, 2017 millions of women around the world gathered to celebrate diversity, to walk in solidarity with women, to march for women’s rights and equal rights, and to rise together. Women marched beside their friends and family to speak out against racism, sexism, classism, and to protest violence against women. Millions of signs waving in the air demanding equality, respect, access to healthcare, women’s reproductive rights, environmental rights, and social justice.
According to the Women’s March on Washington website, an estimated 4,834,000 marchers attended 673 marches worldwide. Women organized marches in nearly every major city and in every state in the United States. Worldwide, marches took place on every continent, including the Antarctic Peninsula, where a group of research scientists organized a march.
In St. Louis, MO over 20,000 hit the streets of downtown. The St. Louis march was a symbol of the need to unite. The streets were filled with several miles of women concerned about issues facing the world.
Just like seeds, the foundations for any movement require care, nurturing, space to grow, nutrients in the form of love, hope, and compassion for the earth and each other. The first step in any social movement is to gather and rally. I marched to stand in solidarity with all women, to celebrate diversity, to rise together, to continue to work toward equal rights, and equality for all. I marched to honor the work of women and activists who made it their life’s work to leave this world a better place than they found it. I marched for earth rights, for environmental stewardship, for clean air, clean water and fertile soil, to help create a brighter future and to leave a world that is inhabitable for future generations. I marched with my husband and our son and daughter, with my mother and her partner, and with my niece. I was amazed at the number of individuals that showed up for the cause.
Crystal Stevens is a regular contributor to The Healthy Planet magazine and author of “Grow Create Inspire” available for sale at www.growcreateinspire.com.