The Women's March On Washington Have Released Their Policy Platform, And It's Radical AF

The organizers of The Women’s March on Washington have a released a four-page “Guiding Vision and Definition of Principles” document, outlining the purpose and motivation of the woman-led movement. The document, prepared by over 20 diverse contributors from various organizations, lists the values guiding the march, takes firm stances on human rights issues ranging from reproductive rights to racial justice to immigration reform, and acknowledges that all of these issues intersect.

Despite the recent pushback from some white women who claimed to feel alienated from the movement when it began to highlight the particular struggles of more marginalized women, such as immigrant women and women of color, the organizers have not shied away from making their inclusive, progressive position known. One of the co-chairpersons, Linda Sarsour, told The New York Times, “This was an opportunity to take the conversation to the deep places,” and confront uncomfortable issues of privilege, race, and the plight of undocumented and minority women.

The document states, “Recognizing that women have intersecting identities and are therefore impacted by a multitude of social justice and human rights issues, we have outlined a representative vision for a government that is based on the principles of liberty and justice for all. As Dr. King said, ‘We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.’”

The document calls for equal access to healthcare, education, and employment for LGBTQIA people, including access to name and gender changes on identity documents, an end to police and state violence, and the overdue recognition that women of color “carry the heaviest burden in the global and domestic economic landscape, particularly in the care economy.” It also advocates for a living minimum wage for all workers, including domestic, farm, and sex workers, and acknowledges the necessity of labor associations and unions for a fair and thriving economy.

National Women's Liberation have also released a video urging women to follow in the footsteps of Poland, Iceland, and France and strike on January 20th and 21st, from all paid and unpaid work, to protest Trump, Pence, and the Republicans trying to rob us of our rights. Their pledge to strike has almost 5,000 signatures, including men who pledge to support the women in their lives by taking on extra tasks in the home.

BUST will be in Washington D.C. on January 21st for the Women’s March on Washington, and we hope to see you there! Special thanks to our bus sponsor, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab!

Top photo via Anna Sudit/Refinery29



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