On Saturday, January 20, The Girls Understanding Their Strength (GUTS) brought Hill students to the Women’s March on Philadelphia.
“A women’s march is needed because unfortunately there are still very ignorant people out there that completely reject the idea of change,” Emma Wright ’18, GUTS co-president, said.
An organization called Philly Women Rally organized the march, gathering donations and spreading awareness to make sure it was as great as last year’s event. Philly Women Rally is dedicated to advocating for women’s rights and political involvement in Philadelphia.
The theme for this year’s march was “We Resist. We Persist. We Rise.”
According to the Women’s March on Philadelphia website, women resist because they “stand up against those in our country and society who seek to divide us and stifle the diversity that makes our nation great.”
The website also stated that women persist because they continue to speak up and remind everyone that “we will not be silenced!”
“We are fighting for women’s rights, especially in communities marginalized the most,” The Women’s March organizers said. “We believe in our ability to create change because together we are powerful and this movement is strong. We are rising, fearless and unapologetic… We are taking our seats at the table!”
There were multiple speakers and performances centered around the theme. The organizers focused on highlighting stories of ordinary women in Philadelphia doing amazing things during the speaker portion of the event.
Singer Suzanne Christine began the program by singing “Rise Up” by Andra Day. An ASL interpreter translated the lyrics for the deaf and hard of hearing so everyone could hear her words and the message.
Governor Tom Wolf ’67 was not able to attend the event but sent his team to relay his message.
“2018 is [women’s] year and I will continue to fight and stand for years to come!” Wolf said. He works closely with the Pennsylvania Commission for Women and recently vetoed an abortion bill in support of women’s right to choose.
Over 40,000 people attended the march. Concurrent marches took place in other sister cities including New York and Washington D.C. Many students wore empowering t-shirts and held posters.
“What I hope GUTS members take away from the march is the passion to continue fighting for women’s rights and female empowerment and encouragement from knowing they have the support of so many women in this country and around the world,” Margaret Pearson ’18, GUTS co-president, said.
Some believe that the march was anti-Trump and if they support him or are a Republican, that it is not in their best interest to attend. This was not the case. The march was open to anyone who is interested in being an ally to women and their push for equality.
“Trump was certainly the last straw for a lot of women, but the inequality we face goes far beyond him and his presidency — it is a societal issue that has been brewing for centuries,” the march organizers stated. “Our march is focused on the positive messages of inspirational women, and how they adhere to the theme of ‘Resist, Persist, Rise.’”
Any Hill students regardless of gender, sexuality, race, political view and other identifiers were welcome to attend the march and are welcome to attend any other GUTS related events in the future.