A historic day for women around the world was January 21, 2018. Women and men came together in Washington, D.C. to march against hate and bigotry. The march was to protest for women’s rights, racial equality, LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights, healthcare, and immigration reform.

But, this is only the tip of the iceberg.

A main factor for the rallies was to combat the election of our current president, Donald J. Trump. After entering the white house, President Trump made statements regarding subjects that many found to be offensive towards women. Since then, women across the country have decided that enough was enough. Once the rally began, there were over 500,000 protesters marching in the streets of the nation’s capital.

The 2017 Women’s March on Washington was the largest single-day protest in history.

Although some organizers claim to not have targeted President Trump directly, many still called the protest an “Anti-Trump rally.” The march was streamed live on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Between 3,267,134 and 5,246,670 people participated in the march in the U.S. alone. In total, an estimated five million people participated in the march worldwide. According to organizers, the rally was meant to “send a message to our new administration on their first day in office, and to the world that woman’s rights are human rights.” The women’s march partnered up with other organizations such as, the Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood, and even the NAACP.

The first Women’s March on Washington started a revolution for women of the twenty-first century. Women of all ages can now let their voices be heard. The rallies have started an uproar for women across the world to demand the rights everyone is born with.

No one should have to ask for rights that are given at birth.

It is a shame that women have to protest the government that is supposed to protect their “natural born” rights. As a democracy, the United States government is supposed to listen to all of it’s citizen’s opinions. We must no longer be silent to the abuse certain groups suffer from ignorant minded officials who have too much power. I’ve noticed that since president Trump’s presidency began, he has received nothing but backlash for his vulgar word choice and overall lack of respect for those of different skin color.

Women cannot be silenced any longer.

Women like Susan B. Anthony, Eleanor Roosevelt, Maya Angelou, Hilary Clinton, and even Beyonce Knowles-Carter have paved the way for women to be independent and strong in society. From women’s suffrage to the possibility of the first female president, women are more than just your average housewife stereotype.

Women no longer tend to the kitchen and look after the children while their husbands are away; women are engineers, doctors, lawyers, and scientists.

Over the last century, our society has become accustomed to the idea of women being independent and predominant leaders and contributors to the world.

Hopefully in the coming years, we will see massive changes.