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The signs that feature in the women’s marches reflect not only our great propensity to be witty in times of trouble, but truly are signs of the times – and proximity. In the United States, there was a fervent focus on the current Trump administration’s government shutdown over that damn wall, a deviation from last year’s ‘Grab Them By The P***y” slogan. “Women Are The Wall And Trump Will Pay” one sign read. “Build A Wall Around Trump And I Will Pay For It” another screamed. One democrat put it quite perfectly, “If Hillary Was President, We’d Be At Brunch Right Now” in reference to New York’s institution that is brunch on a Sunday.
A lot of protesters referred to Cardi B’s political spat last week where she labelled America “a hell whole” in this post-Trump era and his order for government workers to return to work unpaid amid the shutdown.
In Australia, women were fighting for a subject a little closer to home: our safety. Following the rape and murder of an international student, Aiia Maasarwe in Melbourne last week, the demonstration in Sydney yesterday was filled with chants of “What do we want? Safe streets. When do we want them? Now.”
Eighty-five percent of Australian women have been sexually harassed, one in six experience stalking and one in five sexual violence.
Yes, while there were different focuses, all were united under the banner of the belief that women would not go quietly back to the 1950s. And while it’s not a case of standing against men, it’s high time we levelled up to them. Here are some of the best signs from the global women’s marches.
Editor’s note: My personal favourite: “I march because someone else marched for me.”
