Hundreds of people took to the streets of Regina on Saturday, to participate in the first ever Women’s March in the Queen City.
The movement began in 2017 in the United States of America, as women marched to protest against President Donald Trump, who had made remarks about women, including boasts about sexual misconduct on a leaked recording. The walk aims at spreading a message of equality.
"I felt really empowered being able to walk with friends, family, neighbours, and folks from all over Regina,” participant Jael Bartnik said.
Bartnik has experienced harassment on multiple occasions. For her, the march is a personal stance against gender discrimination and unwanted sexual behaviour.
"For a long time it was just something that you try and brush off, but the frequency of it happening is unacceptable, especially coming from adult men who should be responsible, and should treat other people like humans. It’s unacceptable and it’s despicable,” Bartnik said.
About 40 communities across Canada hosted a Women's March on Saturday, helping to make many voices heard, loud and clear.
"We have a number of local issues that we need to tackle, and by being part of a global stage with something like this is a great way to be able to have a united voice together and to continue those conversations, because these aren’t the only issues that we have locally. So it’s a way that more of us can become allies to the other points of intersectionality,” Regina Women’s March organizer Krystal Kolodziejak said.
Though it was the first ever Women's March in Regina, organizers say the support was overwhelming.
"Very happy with the turnout, not only the number of people but the diversity of the people that were here and the number of allies and even a few furballs that came out to join us, so it was an amazing day,” Kolodziejak said.
Organizers hope to make the march an annual event, but no dates have been set yet.
With files from Madina Azizi.
