Many of D.C.'s women in technology were shocked when Donald Trump was elected the 45th president back in November. But instead of remaining apathetic, a group has decided to instead rally and prep for the Women's March on Washington and the work ahead they see for themselves.
"Between this, and the policies of the GOP being decidedly anti-women's rights, the government appears to believe that they can trample over the rights of women, and take us back to the past when America really wasn’t great," said Frederick, Md.-based software engineer Paula Gearon told DC Inno. "I want them to know that women matter, that we can’t be ignored, that we have real value."
Trump's comments about women and his incoming administration's proposed cuts to Planned Parenthood and women's reproductive health coverage in the Affordable Care Act are leaving many worried about how the new president understands the female experience.
Gearon is just one of the hundreds of thousands planning to head down to Independence Ave and Third St SW for the Women's March Saturday. Gearon says that as an Australian immigrant who moved to the U.S. almost 11 years ago, she wasn't able to vote in the recent election. This is the best way for her to make her voice heard. Tomorrow, she plans to bring some water, protein bars and a few other snacks to the protest, and she's planning waking up at 4:30 AM to make sure she can get to the nearest Metro stop with plenty of time.
If enough women and our supporters all speak together, then maybe the government will realize that they need to govern for everyone.
"My voice is too small to count," Gearon said. "But if enough women and our supporters all speak together, then maybe the government will realize that they need to govern for everyone, and not for their own discriminatory agenda."
Mary-Katherine McKenzie, a software engineer for a Chevy Chase, Md.-based tech company, said she's marching because she thinks in-person action says more than her social media posts. McKenzie is also a community leader with CodeNewbie's DC chapter and a Rails Lead at Women Who Code DC.
"It’s important to show up and be part of the crowd of people and to show the incoming administration that women's and minority rights should be a priority," McKenzie told DC Inno.
"Access to safe, reputable, affordable health care providers is being threatened—looking at the ACA and defunding of Planned Parenthood—and when you have tens or hundreds of thousands of people showing up and making the effort, it’s a lot harder to ignore than the same number of people just tweeting or posting on the internet about the same issues."
McKenzie hopes to make and wear a "Fuck the Patriarchy" t-shirt for the rally, which she'll be attending with her roommate.
For D.C.-based senior UX designer Emilia Regan, Election Night brought a feeling of being powerless. Regan is a transwoman, and for her, this march brings a kind of strength and a feeling of having a voice.
"We need to be seen—women of all kinds, cis women, trans women, immigrant, Muslim, Brown, Black, etc," Regan told DC Inno. "We need to be seen standing up and saying we will not be overlooked. We will not accept less than equality."
Regan is heading to the rally and march with a few friends, and she won't be bringing much outside of water or energy bars with her.
"Every person—whether male, female, or nonbinary—who shows up adds that much power to that voice," Regan said. "I want to add my voice to that. I want to speak volumes."
Image used via CC BY 2.0 — credit DVIDSHUB
