Women's March

Women's March
Name	Women's March
Caption	Crowds at the National Mall during the 2017 march in Washington, D.C.
Date	January 21, 2017 (primary)
Location	Worldwide; primary event in Washington, D.C.
Type	Protest march
Theme	Women's rights, civil rights, social justice
Cause	2016 U.S. presidential election
Motive	Opposition to perceived misogyny and policies of Donald Trump
Organizers	Teresa Shook, Bob Bland, Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour, Tamika Mallory
Participants	Estimated 3–5 million in the U.S. (2017)
Outcome	Largest single-day protest in U.S. history; spawned ongoing movement

Women's March. The Women's March was a worldwide protest movement that began with a massive demonstration on January 21, 2017, the day after the inauguration of Donald Trump. Organized primarily in response to the election of Donald Trump and his perceived positions on issues like reproductive rights, immigration, and climate change, it quickly became the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. The movement, centered on a commitment to feminism and social justice, expanded into a decentralized network organizing annual actions and advocating for a broad policy platform.

Background and origins

The immediate catalyst was the victory of Donald Trump in the 2016 United States presidential election, which galvanized activists concerned by rhetoric captured during the Access Hollywood tape and policy promises made during the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign. The initial idea is widely credited to Teresa Shook, a retired attorney in Hawaii, who proposed a protest on Facebook. Her post quickly resonated, merging with parallel efforts by fashion designer Bob Bland and others. The organizing committee expanded to include veteran activists like Carmen Perez of The Gathering for Justice, Linda Sarsour of the Arab American Association of New York, and Tamika Mallory, formerly of the National Action Network. The choice of date, the day after the inauguration, was symbolic, aiming to present a powerful visual counterpoint to the ceremonies at the United States Capitol.

Major marches and events

The flagship event on January 21, 2017, in Washington, D.C., drew an estimated 500,000 to over one million participants to the National Mall, vastly exceeding predictions. Simultaneously, over 650 "sister marches" occurred across all 50 U.S. states and on every continent, including notable gatherings in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and London. The scale, coordinated largely through social media, stunned observers and participants alike. Subsequent annual marches were held in 2018, 2019, and 2020, though attendance diminished. The movement also organized other actions, such as the March On the Polls before the 2018 United States elections and targeted rallies at locations like the United States Supreme Court building during the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh.

Organization and leadership

Initially coordinated by a national board including Bland, Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour, and Tamika Mallory, the structure was a hybrid of a central guiding body and autonomous local chapters. The national organization, Women's March Inc., was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Key partners in the initial march included groups like Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and EMILY's List. However, the movement's leadership faced significant internal strife and public controversy, leading to resignations and restructuring. By 2019, a new board was installed, and the organization shifted toward a more traditional grassroots structure focused on supporting local chapters and initiatives.

Goals and policy platform

The unifying principle was outlined in the "Unity Principles," a document crafted with input from organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Resources Defense Council. These principles advocated for ending violence against women, protecting reproductive rights and LGBT rights, supporting workers' rights, and addressing environmental justice. In 2019, the organization released a more detailed legislative agenda called "Women's Agenda," targeting policy changes in Congress related to health care, voting rights, and criminal justice reform. The platform consistently emphasized intersectional feminism, aiming to center the experiences of women of color, LGBT individuals, and immigrants.

Impact and reception

The 2017 event is widely credited with re-energizing the political left in the United States and inspiring a new wave of activism, often called the "Resistance movement." It provided a model for mass mobilization that influenced subsequent movements like March for Our Lives and the climate strike movement led by Greta Thunberg. Many participants cited the march as their first major political action, and it was followed by a surge in women running for office, contributing to a "Year of the Woman" in the 2018 United States elections. The march received widespread positive coverage from media outlets like The New York Times and CNN, and was praised by prominent figures including Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Controversies and criticism

The movement faced intense scrutiny over allegations of antisemitism due to associations between leaders Linda Sarsour and Tamika Mallory with Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam. Internal disputes over financial management and accusations of a toxic workplace culture were reported by outlets like The New York Times and The Atlantic. These controversies led to the withdrawal of support from major partners like the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the Southern Poverty Law Center, and Planned Parenthood. Furthermore, some critics from within feminist circles, including public intellectuals like Caitlin Flanagan writing for The Atlantic, argued the movement's broad policy platform lacked focus and that its leadership was not sufficiently inclusive of diverse ideological viewpoints, particularly those of Jewish women and conservative feminists.

Category:2017 protests Category:Women's protests Category:Political movements in the United States Category:21st-century feminism