On Saturday, January 19th, be part of a global movement expressing outrage at ongoing gender-based rights violations and demonstrate solidarity with women human rights defenders by taking part in a Women’s March in your community.

Get involved!

1. FIND AN EVENT

• Find an event in or near your community.

2. MARCH

• March on  your own, with friends/family/colleagues, or organize an Amnesty marching contingent.
• Print out Amnesty signs or make your own.
• Consider having a sign-making party a few days before the march. Provide poster board, markers, and brainstorm some pithy gender rights slogans!
• Here are some signs to download and print out (tip: these signs can be printed out in large format on choroplast at a local print shop if you have enough lead time and a printing budget):
  • “Women’s rights are human rights” sign
  • “No more stolen sisters” sign
  • “LGBTI rights are human rights” sign
  • “Love is not a crime” sign
  • “Resistance is a human right” sign
• Bring noise-makers or consider inviting a drummer to join your marching contingent. Brainstorm a few marching chants. Here are some examples:
  • Women’s rights are human rights! LGBTI rights are human rights!
  • What do we want? Gender justice! When do we want it? Now!
  • Hey hey! Ho ho! Gender violence has got to go!
  • 1, 2, 3, 4 What are we fighting for? 5, 6, 7, 8 Women’s lives are what’s at stake!
  • 1, 2, 3, 4 We won’t take it anymore! 5, 6, 7, 8 No more violence! No more hate!
  • Women, united, will never be defeated!
  • Tell me what a feminist looks like! This is what a feminist looks like!
  • Wherever we wear, wherever we go, yes means yes and no means no!
• Make sure to dress for the weather, and bring water, snacks, and a fully charged cell phone.
• See if there’s something in particular that event organizers want you to wear or bring. For example, in Ottawa marchers are asked to wear a red scarf in solidarity with the families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

3. SOCIAL MEDIA

• Take lots of photos, and please send your favorites to Amnesty and post them on social media using hashtags #WomensMarchCanada and tagging @AmnestyNow

4. GATHER PETITION SIGNATURES

• There’s always plenty of time before and after marching to walk around the crowd, talk to participants, and gather petition signatures. This is a great way to promote the cases of women human rights defenders whose cases we featured in last month’s global Write for Rights letter-writing marathon.
• Bring clipboards, petitions, pens, and pencils (pencils are great for cold climates where pen ink may freeze). Bring flyers/brochures/sign-up sheets with information about how to get involved with Amnesty in your community.

5. TABLE

• Many marches have a community festival or activist fair at the end of the marching route. Consider tabling at events. This is a great way to continue promoting cases of women human rights defenders who were featured in last month’s global Write for Rights letter-writing marathon!
• Download, print, and bring these petitions with you >> CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PETITIONS

Learn more about Amnesty International’s campaigning in support of women’s rights.