By MAYA NAKKOUL
Opinions Editor
On Oct. 17, 2020 a second women’s march was held in Washington D.C. and several other sister marches in cities followed suit. This was the second group of women’s march events held within 2020, and the fifth to occur ever. While the crowds were smaller than usual, they drew forth passionate individuals nonetheless. The women’s marches usually occur in January but this second wave of marches took place in the wake of President Donald Trump nominating Justice Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the supreme court. Since then, Barrett has been officially sworn into the supreme court. The first ever women’s march was held in 2017, just following Trump’s inauguration. Each march is an event of solidarity amongst all its participants to stand up and say that the fight for equality is far from over.
Since Barrett took her place in the supreme court, there has been much speculation over the future of women’s rights. This has come about specifically due to Barrett’s perceived opinions on topics such as abortion. Roe v. Wade, specifically, has been the court case brought up frequently. As a professor at the University of Notre Dame law school, Barrett signed an ad that said “It’s time to put an end to the barbaric legacy of Roe v. Wade.”
In life and during her time on the supreme court, Ginsburg made major strides in securing the rights of women in multiple aspects of life. One of Ginsburg’s final wishes was to not have her seat filled until after the 2020 election and yet president Trump insisted on filling the seat in a matter of weeks. The idea of having Ginsburg’s final wishes disrespected as well as her work undone is tragic.
2020 has been a whirlwind when it comes to securing the rights of individuals who are called into question. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement gaining serious momentum throughout the summer, the women’s marches stand in solidarity with them. Their website currently features a portion dedicated to that mission.
“The Women’s March is proud to support The Movement for Black Lives in their call to #DefundPolice,” reads their website. “Defunding the police is a feminist issue because black, poor, immigrant and undocumented women are disproportionately targeted, abused and murdered by police.” It is women of color, especially queer women of color, who are the most targeted and the most underrepresented in the current state of our nation.
Women’s rights are not something which should be up for debate. Laws were created by men and for men and this outdated way of life is outrageous at this point. There is a severe lack of representation in politics for women so it is up to those female politicians specifically to raise one another up and support one another, not tear each other down and undo the work that was done to create a more just and fair environment. This political climate is a volatile one, and understandably so. We should no longer stand for injustice and instead use our voice in the polls, in the streets, and wherever else it takes to get us to a more ideal and equal world.
