ten years ago today (25 april 2004), we marched in numbers too big to ignore (but the media did)

[niyad]

10 Years Ago Today, We Marched in Numbers Too Big to Ignore!

Ten years ago today, I marched through Washington, D.C., past the White House, with my sister (and Ms. Blogger) Melissa and my 8-year-old nephew Isaac. OK, young Isaac didn’t make it the whole way, but my sister was determined that her son’s first experience supporting women’s rights and social justice be a big one. And it was huge: 1.15 million people, arguably the largest demonstration in U.S.
history. The Feminist Majority (FM) was one of the organizers of the March for Women’s Lives, along with the National Organization for Women, Black Women’s Health Imperative, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, NARAL, Planned Parenthood and more than 1,000 cosponsoring organizations. Alice Cohan, the FM political director, codirected the march along with Loretta Ross, founder of SisterSong. As Cohan remembers,

My favorite moment … was when it was decided by several of the leaders that I should get up onstage and announce the size of the crowd. I got up on stage and looked out at a sea of supporters, which reached back as far as the eye could see, and said that we were there in numbers too big to ignore!
. . . .
The reason for this march is really to sound the alarm that [U.S.] policies both globally and domestically are hurting women.
Unfortunately, Republican-dominated state legislators and governors, and regressive forces in the U.S. Congress, are still trying to hurt women and put our health and lives at risk. But as Smeal pointed out in a press release today,

We have never rested on our laurels. Ten years ago, FM staff and supporters carried signs demanding that legislators ‘Stop the War on Women.’ Although we’ve certainly come far since 2004, that war has continued to threaten many of our victories. Today, we are not only looking back, but marching forward.


The Affordable Care Act’s birth-control benefit, which has improved access to contraception, while the ACA’s Medicaid expansion has helped low-income people access vital reproductive health services.
The FDA’s rulings that have expanded over-the-counter access to emergency contraception, with no age restriction.
Defeating ballot measures that restrict abortion access, most recently, in California, Colorado, Florida, Mississippi, North Dakota and Albuquerque, N.M.–the latter being a city where more voters turned out to vote no on an abortion ban than had come out in the mayoral election.
The repeal of the Global Gag Rule.
Federal and state court decisions blocking attempts to restrict women’s access to reproductive health services.
Passing proactive legislation that protects access to reproductive healthcare in several states, including New York’s recent Women’s Equality Act.

. . . .
http://msmagazine.com/blog/2014/04/25/10-years-ago-today-we-marched-in-numbers-too-big-to-ignore/

[MountainLaurel]

1. I was there

Who could imagine just how much worse the situation has become over 10 years?

[niyad]

3. so glad you were able to be there. an it is, indeed, almost unimaginable what the

sheer hatred for women is doing these days.

[Kath1]

2. Ten years? Wow!!!

I was rather apolitical at the time and attended the march with some good friends and my 14 year-old daughter, very much against the edict of my conservative, Catholic (soon to be ex) husband. What a life-changing experience! All of those people with such a feeling of solidarity. Such a commitment to women's health and rights and a very strong anti-war, anti-Bush vibe as well! I knew I would never be the same. I've been into the issues and a committed liberal/progressive ever since. My daughter, now a veteran of peace, equality and choice demonstrations, still remembers it as a wonderful experience!

[niyad]

4. thank you so much for sharing your experience with the march and your life, and

your daughter's, with us.

[niyad]

5. those of you who were there, if you have pics, would love to have you share them

with us.