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Canberra women and male allies have marched in solidarity with their American counterparts against new United States president Donald Trump and sexist statements he made during the campaign. Organisers of the Canberra Women's March, the local iteration of a global movement, held their rally just hours after Mr Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States in Washington, DC. The main event, to be held in Washington early on Sunday morning Canberra time, is expected to draw up to 220,000 protesters who will march against Mr Trump's comments during the election campaign and perceived sexist components of his platform. But the Canberra event, which drew several hundred people of all ages to Civic, focused less on Trump and more on women's issues closer to home. Institutional discrimination, sexual assault, the wage gap, attacks on women of colour and the LGBTI community, as well as reproductive rights were raised during 30 minutes of speeches before the march in Garema Place. Representatives from unions, the YWCA and student bodies along with American expats spoke to the crowd, which held banners bearing slogans like "Our rights won't be Trumped" and "Girls just want to have fundamental rights". Many of the banners alluded to comments Mr Trump made in a video leaked during the campaign, when he said he could "just grab [women] by the pussy" because he was wealthy and famous. Labor MLA Suzanne Orr told those gathered that women had fought hard to have their rights recognised. She said the ACT had made progress when voters elected the first majority-female parliament at last year's October poll. "It's time we demand that [our rights] continue to be allowed and defended in our society," she said to cheers from the crowd. The Women's March was held in sync with counterparts in Australian state capitals. To cries of "shame" from the crowd, YWCA Canberra executive director Frances Crimmins listed areas in which Canberra women continued to face discrimination, including salary gaps, less superannuation and fewer senior public service roles. "Women make up half the population, and women deserve an equal share," she said.

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