A History of Women’s Activism

The right to vote.

The right to financial autonomy.

The right to equal compensation.

The right to fair treatment.

The right to authority over our own bodies.

Women throughout history have been called to march for numerous reasons. And from the beginning, our collective struggle has been driven and defined by our desire for equal rights on all fronts—political, economic, social, and racial.

But what each one of us brings to this struggle, uniquely defines both ourselves and our place within the greater movement for women’s equality. How and why we choose to march, is as deeply personal as anything else.

At Evelyn & Bobbie, we’re committed to sparking dialogue, inciting mindful action, and fostering progress; in both big and small ways.  We aim to celebrate and support women of all sizes, identities, and ideologies. Not least of which includes rallying together—out on the street, in our homes, and within our many virtual spaces—to learn, to grow, and to continue demanding progress toward change.

In an effort to better understand the desires and struggles of the women in our community, we heard from seven women on why they march. Here’s what we learned:  

“By protesting (in public spaces) as a collective body of women and allies, we actualize our power. I will move my feet on January 21, as one body within a body of women. I will protest silence and its negative permeation throughout time. We have been blessed by female legends and leaders who have guided all of us and offered us the strength to speak up and to move. I will be carrying them on my back along with my ancestors, and those women who lack the luxury of assertion.”

Chelsea Turowsky

 

“On January 21, I will be marching along with thousands of other women, in a show of solidarity for women’s rights. As a parent of two young boys, it’s important for me to show my support. My children need to understand that democracy is not static, and that our rights—those things we take to be inalienable—can be taken away if we do not remain diligent. I want my boys to be comfortable calling themselves feminists, and to understand that women’s rights are human rights.”

Laurian Rhodes

 

“I have been marching since before I was born. My parents were Civil Rights Activists, and I grew up in Greenwich Village. I've marched in Washington, New York City, and San Francisco. And I’ve covered a few marches in France (where it's a popular sport), and England. Why I march? I march for women — who are girls now, women not yet born, women who were girls in the sixties, my mother, my sister, my friends, my sons’ friends. And I march because I can, because I must, because I believe when many voices come together, change is possible.”

Darya Mead

 

“I march for the women who have come before me; trailblazers who marched for rights that I now have. I march for the young women I work with, who are finding their voice, and are so passionate about what they do it sends me spinning. I march for my mother, who taught me to be resilient and composed in the face of discrimination. Now, more than ever, I march for the women who will march after me—the girls that may already have thoughts on what it's like to be female, today. To those girls, a message: we see you, we support you, and we are listening.”

Rose Fredericks

 

“I’m marching so that my son can grow up in a country where women are his equals. Because I cringe at nursery rhymes that sing ‘the boys on the bus say let's go play,’ and ‘the girls on the bus say tee-hee-hee.’"  

Jennifer Parsons

 

“I am marching to show solidarity with my fellow women, men, and genderqueers who reject outmoded gender norms in America. With great positivity and in good spirit,  I will be marching with the Association for Women in Science, the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization dedicated to gender equity in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. I am marching to raise attention to these issues, and more importantly, elevate other women in the STEM community.”

Dorian Green Russell

 

“I am an immigrant. I have worked myself sick for decades. I’ve followed the formula for class-climbing, made bootstraps where there were none, for my education, for a satisfying career, for health and wellness, for safety. I’ve been discounted for being Asian. For nothing but the shape of my eyes and the color of my skin. I hold these struggles close. They are my dear teachers. And this is why I will march . In sisterhood with other women — those who have had it much harder than I, and those who have had it easier. All of us, in solidarity with our allies.”

Beth Haworth-Kaufka