On the day of inauguration for newly appointed President Donald Trump, crowds of protesters scattered across the nation. One day later, the women were just getting started. Although the Women's March in Washington, D.C. was the central march for female freedom, around 616 additional sister marches took place both in the United States and internationally.
In Seneca Falls, New York, women from all over the state congregated to unite towards a common goal--equality. I stepped into the streets with my sister Daphine, along with our two close friends Kaitlin and Susan. We joined the mass of hundreds of individuals who had crowded the street and overflowed into the sidewalks. Police officers were present to guard the safety of demonstrators. As I faced the jumble of signs ahead of me, one thing became clear. We were not marching anywhere but forward.
Music filled the air, overlaid by the chants and cheers that intensified the attitude of the crowd. Although women across the United States are faced with a tumultuous future, the atmosphere in Seneca Falls remained just as positive as it was powerful. Many women greeted me, speaking as though we had known each other for months. The crowd interacted freely, commenting on one another's posters and discussing the recent issues surrounding our future under a Trump administration. There were no strangers. It was clear to all that we were united by our hope for a stronger future.
Equally as encouraging were the men that made an appearance at the march. Whether they were attending on behalf of their wives, daughters, sisters, mothers, or merely on their own, it was truly encouraging to see that some men were not intimidated by the prospect of equality for both genders. Young children were also in attendance. This led many to hope that there may be a day in their future when a woman will not have to march a single step merely to preserve access to her reproductive freedoms.
Under the Trump administration, women in America are faced with a future where they may not have the right to make their own reproductive decisions. The right to have an abortion may be repealed, along with the Affordable Care Act, which provides coverage for birth control as well as prenatal care. Planned Parenthood is also under threat of demolition. These dangers have made it evident to women that our bodies soon may not be under our own control, but under a government's jurisdiction. By peacefully protesting these hazards, Women's Marches all over the United States have demonstrated to our new president that empowered women will continue to fight for a country that is free from female oppression. Although America is now overseen by a misogynistic president, this does not mean that the women of America are going down without a fight. President Trump must "respect our existence, or expect our resistance".
