Fueled by decades of unjust societal norms and gender discrepancies, hundreds of Utah women took to the streets on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Their voices rang out as they marched up State Street until they reached the steps of the Utah State Capitol.
“I was often told, ‘you can’t do this; you can’t do that,’ because that is not what a good girl does,” said Ofa Matagi, candidate for the Utah House of Representatives District 33, while addressing the crowd at Washington Square.
The message was clear and simple: Women are equal to men and need to be treated as such.
With Election Day upon us and a Supreme Court seat left vacant by the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, demonstrators had a lot to say, and they weren’t going to let anything stand in their way.
“We will stand for these principles of equality, just as others stood to gain women the right to vote,” said Kelly Jones, a participant in this year’s march.
The march started on Washington Square, and speakers from the community stood before the crowd and shared some thoughts and ideals before the group took to the streets.
Many of the women and allies carried signs that read, “Make America Kind Again” and “My Body My Choice” along with a variety of quotes from Ginsburg and other historically influential women.
The march is an annual occurrence here in Salt Lake City. Similar events across the country have gained a lot of support ever since the 2017 Women’s March in Washington, the day after President Trump took office.
