On Monday I attending the table talk: Women Unite! that discussed the marches around the world the day after the inauguration. Two of the GRF’s who were leading the discussion both attended the march in Washington D.C. and were able to give us an idea of the feel of the march and their feelings after the march. Those who attended the march described it as a great experience that helped them feel empowered and have a sense of control in our current political climate. We were all shocked by the number of people who ended up attending the marches. I knew the event was going to be big, but I never realized that millions of people across the world would join. It is amazing how people can really mobilize when we start to realize the threats we are up against.

Throughout the talk we discussed feminism in a broader scope. For me, feminism has to be intersectional to be considered feminism. If you aren’t fighting against racism, ableism, transphobia, homophobia, and Islamaphobia when you are fighting for feminism, who are you fighting for? We also discussed the role of conservative women in feminism. We were very divided on this topic, as some at the table believed that liberal women should offer to include conservative women into the movement. Others, including myself, felt like they should try to join through their own means.

As a Maryland resident, I really wish I had gone to the march. I’m very interested in politics, now more than ever, and feel like the march would feel like a great space to vent out frustration and anger. We ended the discussion by slow clapping it out, which seemed like a really great way to finalize an empowering conversation with motivated people.