Signs read messages like “get your laws off my body”, “I will not go quietly back to the 1950’s, and “viva la mujer” as thousands convened at the capitol for Boise’s Womxn’s March. Boise’s march this year was a celebration of inclusivity and female empowerment to combat injustice. As BHS student and co-organizer Maddie Oppenheimer explained, they added the x to women “to represent every person willing to fight for equality.”

The tradition of the march began back in January 2017, when women decided to march together as a demonstration against newly elected President Trump, who openly bragged about sexual assault in a recording. Streets across the country pooled with people, many wearing pink hats, which symbolize reclaiming power after the release of Trump’s degrading remarks. The march’s immense turnout in 2017 made it the largest single-day protest in U.S. history.  

The tone of the march this year in Boise was hopeful, yet with the firm acknowledgement of the struggles women are facing today. The speakers came from an invigorating range of backgrounds. Seventeen-year-old Percephone Bias shared her raw story of finding her confidence as a transgender woman despite the stacked forces of name-calling and the upsetting comments. Former Obama White House Press Secretary Jennifer Palmieri took protesters back to that fateful day of November 9th, 2016, proclaiming that the fight to make our voices heard must continue. Sonia Galaviz underscored the role of education in empowerment. Although her family had to pick cotton just to get by, they ensured that she had the gift of an education. Now, as a fifth grade teacher, she is working towards a doctorate degree in education.

Although there was some criticism about the march being more of a gathering than a march due to the lack of a permit, it ultimately was a success. The energy was still there, and as attendee Whitney Burleigh put it, not marching “allowed the people’s undivided focus and consideration to be on the women speaking”.

The event was a whirlwind of inspiring stories and encouragement to break the barriers that surround us. With contagious energy, State Senator Cherie Buckner-Webb left the audience with the overarching message that “we are equipped to bring positive change”.