January 19, 2019 marked the third annual Women’s March. Once again, GGJ led a grassroots feminist contingent representing the US chapter of the World March of Women. 

The organizations that made up the delegation were: Activist San Diego, Causa Justa::Just Cause, Chainbreaker Collective, Communities for a Better Environment (SoCal), Community to Community, Cooperation Jackson
East Michigan Environmental Action Council, Grassroots International, Indigenous Climate Action, Indigenous Environmental Network, Jobs with Justice, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon, Philadelphia Student Union, Southwest Organizing Project, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services, WEACT for Environmental Justice

On MLK weekend, Grassroots Feminist leaders from GGJ marched at the 3rd annual Women’s March in Washington D.C and met to deepen our collective understanding of grassroots feminism reflected in our organizing work.   As the US chapter of the World March of Women, we brought the energy of the Feminist Batucada firing up chants calling for international solidarity and all people’s liberation among the thousands that gathered at the Saturday march. 

After the the march, we answered the call of solidarity to stand with our comrade and native elder, Nathan Phillips, as the International Indigenous Youth Council, partners, and allies stood in front of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in prayer, and to demand accountability from the Catholic Church for the racist harassment and criminal trespasses committed by students of the Covington Catholic High School.

Sunday was a packed day of deepening our understanding of feminist history and discussions around building the Fourth Wave of Grassroots Feminism, including grounding our struggles within the global movement. We grappled with deep questions like “How can we incorporate Grassroots Feminism in our organizing work as we try to define what a feminist economy can look like within Just Transition?” “ How do we build intergenerational organizations while building women’s leadership in the grassroots movement?” “ How do we uplift reproductive labor, “How do we relieve grief and healing in Honduran migrant women seeking asylum at the borders?” and many more.  

Graça Samo, Coordinator of the International Secretariat of the World March of Women (WMW) also shared with us the international context from Spain to Mozambique and challenges faced by WMW chapters with the rise of the right. From Brazil’s Bolsonaro, the Lima Group of Latin America, right wing parties renewed across Europe to the continuing corruption and violence that undermines women and social movements in African nations like Mozambique; these challenges demand the international feminist movement to be more creative and visionary in our response. Despite the tough conditions movements across the globe are facing, the conversations at our meeting re-affirmed why it is important for us to double down and continue building the vision for collective liberation. 

We hope to grow our Grassroots Feminism & Gender Justice workgroup to deepen and develop our vision for grassroots feminism within GGJ and are committed to cultivating relationships with existing gender justice, reproductive justice and grassroots feminist organizations across the country in 2019.

I appreciated the space and time we were able to devote with one another raising awareness, developing capacities, deepening understandings, relationships, and solidarity to be able to continue advocating for gender equity centering safety, health, immigration, indigenous sovereignty, specifically with a grassroots feminist framework.

Piper Carter, EMEAC Detroit, Michigan

Read Piper Carter’s full reflection on the delegation

Take a look at photos from the delegation on our GGJ Facebook Account & GGJ Flikr Account

Read “ From the Women’s March to the World March of Women: Grassroots Solutions to Root Causes” By Grassroots International