A Day Without Women: Pushing Past Racism in Feminism

On January 21st, multitudes of women throughout the U.S. protested the presidency of Donald J. Trump. But what started out as a national march against a patriarchal demagogue evolved into a global campaign for gender equality, women’s rights, peace, love and saving our planet. From a boat in the freezing Antarctic to the Eigg island of 83 people; from the streets of India to cities in the United Kingdom. Even the African continent wasn’t left out. In Nairobi, South Africa and my country Nigeria, hundreds of women marched in solidarity with their sisters across the globe. Now plans are underway for a women’s strike: A Day Without A Woman.

Trump became a catalyst for something bigger. Contrary to Simone De Beauvoir’s claims in her book The Second Sex, we finally had concrete means for organizing ourselves into a unit, thanks to the Internet and social media — #WomensMarch. When we heard the new leader of free world describe a woman as “bitch”, her breasts as “phony” and his freedom to do anything to women, including “grab them by the pussy”, we collectively knew what it felt like to be objectified. To fight every day for our humanity. Taking to the streets in pink hats with cardboard signs held high and banners uniting us was our way of fighting back against “every man who’s ever tried to leverage power, money, fame, credibility or physical strength to snap your boundaries like matchsticks.” Even against other presidents like Muhammadu Buhari who believe that the woman’s place is in the kitchen or the other room. More sinister than the remarks are what they represent and the cultures that continue to birth them.

Read full article in the Huffington Post.