Women's March London 21st January

[user1481714646]

In solidarity with women's marches across the globe on 21st January there will be a march in London, ending up at Trafalgar square.

It is a show of numbers to condemn many harmful attitudes towards women, minorities of race and religion, LGBTQA+ peoples and survivors of sexual assaults.

These issues will not go away by this march, but it is to remind to the global audience that they are prevalent and not enough is being done to curb harmful rhetoric and actions against these people's.

www.facebook.com/womensmarchlondon/

How is "in defence of human rights threatened by the inauguration of Donald Trump as POTUS" not an anti-Trump march? That is written at the top of your mission statement, it seems odd to then claim you're not anti-Trump (not saying that that's a bad thing btw!). The rest of the mission statement is pretty woolly, and yes, not explicitly feminist, in fact somehow reading it I feel like it is women feeling the responsibility to fix all the worlds ills. Shouldn't we all be doing that, why do women need to spearhead it? Why does it need to be a women's march if the aims are to defend human rights for everyone?

There will inevitably be anti-Trump protests on Inauguration Day and tbh I don't want to be in central London on that day as other people are likely to be protesting too, and these things often do not stay peaceful, although the media doesn't always report that (OH is met police and riot trained, it's opened my eyes a lot seeing how often he is called out/on standby and it is not reported on the BBC etc).

Million Women Rise on the other hand offers specific feminist demands to march for... and this year falls on a day I'm not working .

I find it really weird that you aren't 'owning' that it's anti-trump

Who is supposed to pay attention to this march? I mean whose opinions/ policies/ actions is it intended to influence?

Hi Kimberley, I'm sure we all appreciate you responding to queries.

Sorry - I got cut off! I have actually donated to the march - I did so early on - and am disappointed to hear that it's losing its purpose: I understood that, being called 'Women's March on...' it was aligned with the Washington march and therefore did indeed have a political focus in women's rights and equality. It now seems to have lost any sense of purpose and is rather an 'one size fits all' march for everyone and about everything. This cannot possibly be effective. I'd be very careful about changing course now after receiving donations already - you leave yourself open to litigation.

The Facebook looks professional, it looks like a worthwhile event...but it also Looks like these coordinators can't coordinate. And I agree with (other commenter) that the message is muddled. Simplify your message ladies, and tame the apparent dissenting in your ranks; this person is clearly the amateur of the group

I’m going on the march. This is such a troubling time of deepening divisions and inequality. It’s easy to focus on all the ways we are divided, and our politicians are having a field day stoking those arguments. It’s a very effective way of deflecting attention from operations of power along fault lines of race, gender, poverty etc. Good old divide and rule. My feeling is that the harder task of why we should stand together, finding the language and the thinking for that purpose is more pressing than focusing on all the ways we shouldn’t. I want to focus on how and why we could and should, not why we can’t and won’t. To be very honest, looking at the news every day and seeing how things are worsening and pressure is building, to not at least attempt to seems to me ethically anaemic. I hope, as a community on Mumsnet, we can work on the more challenging and productive of those options. I’m sure we can.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/26/protest-march-women-civil-rights?CMP=share_btn_tw

Already 107 or even more 'sister' marches?
Does anyone know where the others are taking place?
It's looking good!

The great thing about marches is the disparate groups they attract; I remember marching against apartheid in the 1980s, between the Quakers and a Prostitutes Trades Union. All friendly, lovely and interesting people.
We got the job done!

There's a piece on the march in today's Guardian. The Women's Equality party has "thrown its weight" behind the march, which is supported by Jack Monroe, among others, none of whom I recognise as feminists. Is Pixy Geldof political? I may be missing a trick.

I know I, and many others, were very disappointed in the Women's Equality party, and with Jack Monroe being a leading light it seems our concerns regarding the trans agenda were well-founded. The article doesn't provide any more reasons why British women should march against Trump than have been put forward on this thread so far. I think Trump is a bad thing for America, and likely for the world in general, but find myself baffled as to why women in London should march in protest at the result of another country's election.

The March is not anti-Trump. The March is being supported by an ever increasing number of organisations, the WEP is only one. The March is an attempt to bring as many together as possible from across all areas of social struggle. It is an attempt to build a resistance against forces of division and to start working together to generate new political ground and language. We are all a part of this enterprise. It will succeed only in so far as citizens become actively involved. To be disappointed is fine but there is a responsibility to generate thinking. We can't just kick back and despair of how the political parties are failing to serve us. I'm not sure why you're so focused on the 'trans agenda.' If women - or anyone, since this is a march open to all - feel concern about the way forces of division are escalating, we should act. Is it not clear that these are complex equations that impact on us all? Trump, Brexit, Putin, Assad, Syria, the refugee crisis, austerity - all of these are elements of a interrelated situations. Farage has met with Trump three times since his election. I'm confused by your focus on the 'trans agenda' in the midst of all of this.

So why is it called a women's march?

because women have initiated the action and are the planners.

Also. Intersectionality is, as we all know, a way of thinking about the complexity of women's identities and concerns. If I am a black woman I will be dealing with prejudice every day and fearful (if I am a mother) about the safety of my children. I would know that my child is more likely to be stopped and searched, more likely to be paid less, more likely to be detained under the mental health act. Black and Asian Muslim children are less likely to get professional jobs, despite doing better at school, (according to an official report.) If I am living in poverty then I will be fearful about how to pay the daily bills and put food on the table. All of the social struggle across the board impact on women. It's not just reproductive rights and gender equality that are 'women's issues'. Any woman who cares about the experience of their fellow women, their children and their communities should support them.

I was going to make the long trip down from the frozen north, but I don't think it's worth the effort now.

Shame, it could have been brilliant.

that's a shame Xenophile. Hopefully there will be plenty of women who want to start the new year with a strong action to resist divisive forces. I know many who are making that journey from the frozen north. It's looking like there's going to be a great turn out! Happy New Year and the best of luck with any actions you choose to support.

Intersectionality is well known in feminism, user148. But all those different groups, whether disabled women or BME or all the others, are, by definition, composed of human females, not males. The attempt, by male trans activists, to colonize women's movements and women's spaces hurts women's interests. They are part of the problem, not the solution. I think I'd be safe in saying that most of the regular posters here don't agree that being a woman is an identity that males can adopt at will.

Women are oppressed because of our biology. We cannot identify our way out of this. Gender is a key part of our oppression: gender hurts women. No feminist is ever "cis".

Well said Prawn.

And gorgeousness? What does that even mean?

I appreciate your concerns. I think it oversimplifies to say that 'women are oppressed because of our biology'. Where does the relationship between biology, language, power start and end - It's complexity is immense. It's important to, in the midst of the complicated questions surrounding identity and oppression to focus on the issue of sliding scales of human value. This march is not an attempt to get round the intractable and endlessly demanding questions surrounding identity and oppression. It is an attempt to look at how those complexities are being exploited towards stoking division and the rise of hate and deflecting political energy away from centres of power. This seems like an important time to focus on valuing equality, dignity and human value - even whilst we acknowledge the complexity of response that the social structuring of power demands. The women in this march are also mothers, sisters, wives, partners, aunts, friends. Their identities are complex and enfolded. For my part, as a woman, I wish to extend my definition of kinship and defend the rights of those who are oppressed. If the trans community are fighting oppression and the immense pressure they are subject to, then yes, I will most certainly stand with them too.

it means 'excellent, marvellous, superb, very good, first-rate, first-class, wonderful, delightful, outstanding, exceptional, magnificent, splendid, superlative, matchless, peerless;great, glorious, terrific, tremendous, smashing, fantastic, sensational'
Thanks to Kimberly for making such efforts with her time and energy to generate an action at the beginning of January 21 to bring us together, it is very appreciated. The action will welcome thousands, all with their own voices. None of those voices will speak for one and all but together we will make a beautiful noise.

No it doesn't and women are oppressed because of our biology. We are the sex class. The class that is expected to bear and rear children. This is basic feminism and I really don't appreciate your patronising tone thanks. I'll stick to doing what I always do, fighting rape culture, working against VAWG and working towards the implementation of the Nordic Model. Enjoy your walk.

So now, rather than women's march (as it includes non-women) or anti trump march (which you have been keen to isolate it from) it's basically an "anyone who is a little bit unhappy about anything" (all of the intersectionality posts, plus "Trump, Brexit, Putin, Assad, Syria, the refugee crisis, austerity") march?

I still don't understand what the point of this march is-who is it aimed at? Who is supposed to modify or adjust policy because of it?

Oh and here's the definition of gorgeous.
beautiful; very attractive.
"gorgeous colours and exquisite decoration"
synonyms: good-looking, attractive, nice-looking, handsome, lovely, beautiful, pretty, as pretty as a picture, stunning, striking, arresting, prepossessing, winning, fetching, captivating, bewitching, beguiling, engaging, charming, charismatic, enchanting, appealing, delightful, irresistible; More
informal
very pleasant or enjoyable.
"the weather was gorgeous"
synonyms: excellent, marvellous, superb, very good, first-rate, first-class, wonderful, delightful, outstanding, exceptional, magnificent, splendid, superlative, matchless, peerless; More

"I'm unhappy and I will march, with no specific cause or aim!!"