Nanaimo residents will fall into step with women across the globe after the U.S. presidential inauguration of Donald Trump.
Nanaimo will host an event in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington Saturday (Jan. 21) to stand up for women’s rights, recognize the gains of women leaders and make clear discrimination won’t be tolerated.
More than 300 marches are happening worldwide, according to the Women’s March on Washington website.
For Sonnet L’Abbé, lead organizer in Nanaimo, putting this event together is about feeling she has the power to do something and to create that space for others who feels the way she does after the inauguration. She hopes the march will recognize gains of women leaders and express love and support for women’s leadership.
She expects more than 200 people to attend.
“The tone of global politics is changing on that day and I know I want to be about women, I want to be about people of color, I want to be about LGBTQ folks. I want to do something,” said L’Abbé.
She said the election seemed to take public dialogue in a direction that was less civil, and that the challenges of having a voice as a woman was made clear in a public and mainstream way.
“There are lots of people that want to continue respectful conversations about our differences, and our hopes and our dreams for ourselves, for our families, for our communities, our countries and that’s what we’re standing up to uphold is that respectful dialogue,” she said.
While the march is in response to the election and presidential inauguration, L’Abbé said it’s hopefully bigger than any four years and the kind of solidarity being seen across the globe is unprecedented. There have been movements to improve the social situation for girls and girls’ learning, wanting to make sure girls get education and that girls aren’t shamed, and there’s anti-bullying campaigns and there’s a way this moment brings all of those together, she said.
The march starts at 10 a.m. at the Diana Krall Plaza and will go to Maffeo Sutton Park, where people can listen to speakers like Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP Sheila Malcolmson, Valeen Jules, aboriginal poet and activist, and Eva Manly, activist.
Women and supporters of women are invited to attend.
There’s also a March Saturday on Gabriola Island form 9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. at the Haven, 240 Davis Rd., according to the Women’s March on Washington website.