Survivors of sexual violence join tens of thousands in nationwide protests advocating for the rights and safety of women and girls.
Survivors of sexual violence were prominently represented among the tens of thousands of demonstrators who took to the streets across the UK to advocate for the rights and safety of women and girls globally. On Saturday, approximately 5,000 participants gathered in London alone, joining a nationwide effort that saw an estimated 21,000 attendees spread across various marches.
The event featured a strong atmosphere of solidarity, as participants chanted empowering slogans such as “My body, my choice” and “What do we want? Safety. When do we want it? Now.” Intricately designed homemade signs conveyed messages of resilience and unity, with phrases like “And still we rise” and “Women hold up half the sky” being prominently displayed.
Demi Reilly, a 30-year-old participant from Northampton, explained her motivations for attending, stating, “To represent the woman oppressed everywhere. Collectively we need to raise our voices. No woman is free until all women are free… we can’t let s*** slide anymore.” Similarly, 42-year-old Anne-Marie Langeveldt underscored the importance of campaigning for future generations, drawing attention to distressing statistics by the World Health Organisation that indicate nearly one in three women and girls globally face physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes. She described this as fundamentally “all of society’s problem.”
The marches focused on the intersectionality of feminist issues, with speakers in London addressing multiple forms of discrimination including transphobia, homophobia, racism, ableism, ageism, and classism. Event organisers expressed being “deeply inspired” by the turnout, which demonstrated “the power of collective action and solidarity.”
Langeveldt, whose family has roots in Zimbabwe, expressed her solidarity with women from her ancestral homeland and pointed to the plight of women in Afghanistan, who have faced severe oppression from the Taliban. She remarked on the need for advocacy, noting, “We’re marching for our women back in Zimbabwe as well… for the women in Afghanistan too who have no voice whatsoever.”
In addition to these issues, demonstrators raised awareness about the struggles of women and girls in Iran following the introduction of severe laws that could impose the death penalty for peaceful activism against the country’s mandatory veiling laws, as highlighted by Amnesty International.
The protests took place within a climate of concern regarding heightened violence against women, with police classification of the issue as a “national emergency.” Crime related to violence against women and girls surged by 37 per cent from 2018 to 2023. This urgent context shaped the feelings of many young attendees, including a group of girls aged between 12 and 13 who described their apprehension about the future in light of Donald Trump’s imminent second presidential term. “It’s about our future,” they expressed collectively.
One participant, 24-year-old Hollie Deaves, attended the march with her mother and one-year-old daughter. Deaves conveyed her emotional experience while marching, highlighting her desire to show solidarity and advocate for a safer future for her child. “To show solidarity, to show we’re not alone,” she stated, adding that her daughter’s bright yellow vest read, “Please don’t make me a commodity.”
Organisers Ashley Donaldson, Carolyn Storer, and Hollie Jordan affirmed the determination of those involved, stating, “This is just the beginning for the UK Women’s March. We remain steadfast in our commitment to campaigning and marching until all women worldwide are free, have equitable access to healthcare, and no longer live in fear of violence and oppression.”
The march in London concluded with a sense of shared purpose, as participants across generations gathered to stand against the backdrop of iconic London landmarks, symbolising both a poignant moment of reflection and a call for continued activism.
Source: Noah Wire Services