On January 21 st , over five million people came together from around the globe to raise voices on behalf of women everywhere . The closest opportunity for me to use my voice was in Los Angeles , California where seven hundred and fifty thousand people crowded the streets from Pershing Square to City Hall .
Due to the way the media portrays most protests , I wasn ’ t surprised when people asked me to sit this one out for my own safety . However , the safety of my rights and the rights of those around me were at stake . They still are . I find it hard to be complacent posting from social media alone . Social media is a good tool to promote social consciousness , but it is what we do with said consciousness that matters . Post march , I can proudly say that Women ’ s Marches all over the world remained peaceful , with a total of zero arrests .
As I have gotten older , I have started recognizing the injustices I have faced growing up a girl . Today , as a twenty three year old white woman in Trump ’ s America , I can consider these injustices and how much greater they are for many of my fellow sisters and brothers . It is a heart wrenching time to be a woman , an immigrant , a Muslim , a refugee , a person of color , part of the LGBTQ + community . If you are wondering why multiple groups of people are relevant while talking about a march specific to women , it is because of something called “ intersectional feminism .” Not every feminist is white , middleclass , cis gendered and able bodied . Intersectionality recognizes that women of different backgrounds experience oppression in various degrees of intensity . Being an intersectional feminist starts with one step : checking your privilege .