Among many things, I am a feminist. I believe that women, men, and everyone in between should have access to the same basic human rights. For this reason, I participated in The Women’s March in Raleigh, North Carolina this past Saturday. I stood in a crowd of 17,000 (a small number compared to the crowds in hundreds of marches around the world) people who believed in something so seemingly simple: women’s rights are human rights. There is a common misconception that women want to be greater than men, but we just want to be treated as equals. Women are tired of their voices being silenced, as one elderly woman’s sign read “I’m too old to still be protesting this s***.” I marched because I wanted to finally be heard. . . and I think we sure did make a statement.

Donald Trump’s inauguration crowd was slim in comparison to the Women’s March. Not to mention, that the Women’s March had sister marches all around the country and the world (I attended a sister march in Raleigh). The bigger the crowd, the bigger the statement. Everyone has been talking about the immense turnout for the Women’s Marches, and dare I say, that this topic has been just as hot as the inauguration. The point of the Women’s March was to raise awareness and get people talking, which is precisely what it did. As said in the Women’s March mission statement -- “HEAR OUR VOICE.”

I have never felt more empowered than when I turned the corner on to Fayetteville Street and saw a flood of beautiful, strong, and feisty human beings. Everyone came from such different walks of life but they were there fighting for the same cause. Women’s rights are human rights. The crowd of feminists around me was nothing short of breathtaking. I saw little girls in wonder woman costumes holding signs that say “girls run the world.” I was left in awe at generations coming together to fight for equality.

I believe that all are equal and I will never stop fighting until that equality is reached. Audre Lorde put it perfectly, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” We must recognize. We must accept. And we must celebrate. Here’s to women all across the world - may our voices be heard and human rights be met.