On Saturday, January 21, 2017 people all across the map united in support for women’s rights. I say “people” because although it was the Women’s March, plenty of men attended as well, simply because women’s rights are human rights. One of the march locations was my home away from home: San Jose, California. My heart broke a little when I saw that, as I wouldn’t be returning to San Jose until the next day. Still, it made me so happy to see how many people did turn out.

I have never made it a secret that I am a feminist. Had I been in San Jose, I would have attended the march, signs blazing and voice raised. One of the reasons for marching listed on the website was to end violence against women. According to RAINN’s website, 1 in 6 women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape, with young women being at a higher risk than others. The president himself was recorded saying, “And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p---y.”

Someday, I may have a daughter; I may have a niece. I want a better, safer world if and when that day comes. I stand with those who marched because of this.

Another reason for marching listed was racial and economic justice. A core aspect of feminism is intersectionality -- the ability to recognize that women from different backgrounds have different experiences. A good example of this is the wage gap. Recent statistics posted by Pew Research Center reassert a well-known fact: white women earn less than white men, making roughly 82 percent of the same amount. While that is important, it is also important to note that women of color make far less than that, with Hispanic women earning about 58 percent of what a white man makes. Intersectionality is important to feminism now more than ever, since first- and second-wave feminism is not well-known for being inclusive to women of color.

There were many other reasons listed for marching (one of my personal favorites was to be free from gender norms, expectations and stereotypes), many of them being core aspects of feminism. I stand with those who marched. I believe you should too.