The Top 5 Feminist Moments of 2017
Wow…right? There’s a great big reason that “feminism” is Merriam-Webster’s word of the year. Gender dynamics are roiling and Planned Parenthood is at the center of national dialogue more than ever before. These are the 5 events that shaped our year, through a Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest lens:
The San Diego Women’s March
The year kicked off full-throttle with the San Diego Women’s March. More than 40,000 people attended: Their spirits were high, and camaraderie was in abundance. The event came one day after the inauguration and coincided with the huge national march in Washington, D.C., and dozens of other marches across the country. "As a diverse, inclusive community of compassionate people, we seek to strengthen and continue our commitment to work for the protection of women's rights,'' the organizers said in a statement. ``We stand firm in agreement that women's rights are human rights.''
Power of Pink Marches
With powerful pink signs in their hands and fiery resolve in their hearts, hundreds of people in San Diego, Riverside, and Imperial counties joined forces with millions across the country in March and July to support Planned Parenthood against a devastating bill that would have repealed the ACA and blocked women from getting care at Planned Parenthood. We know politicians won’t stop attacking women’s health and Planned Parenthood, despite the clear fact that 75 percent of Americans support us. But each time they try, we’ll be back in full force.
The Run for All Women
The Run 4 All Women California was a day-long grassroots activism event in August that benefitted Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. Amy Abrams and Whitney Baugher, local distance runners and volunteer ambassadors, were selected to lead the 40-mile run/walk through the coastal communities of San Diego — one of five Run 4 All Women events in the US that month. Friends, family, and allies gathered at the Chula Vista Marina Park to greet runners and walkers for a finish-line rally and to raise their voices together in solidarity. To date, The Run 4 All Women has raised over $104,000 for Planned Parenthood.
The Fight for Birth Control / Thanks, Birth Control!
In the face of unprecedented attacks on access to birth control, Planned Parenthood launched The Fight for Birth Control this past fall. Undermining access to contraception is just one aspect of the administration’s broader attack against women’s ability to fully participate in the workforce and pursue their dreams. Following this campaign, Planned Parenthood rolled out the Thanks, Birth Control! campaign to bring women together to share how birth control has improved each of their lives in powerfully personal ways.
The #MeToo Movement
The year is concluding with The #MeToo Movement: the surge of women and men who risk so much to share personal stories of sexual assault and harassment. Time magazine made this movement “Person of the Year,” but we hope we’re seeing only the beginning of it. Reverberations are being felt in every industry, including government. Will there be a backlash? Will changes filter down to the people who feel most trapped by sexual assault and harassment — those who feel they have too much to lose by saying something? The #MeToo women and men are so brave; they are attempting to purge the unacceptable for all of us, and are shepherding in social change at every level. We’re behind them every step of the way, for the entire journey to come.
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