Women’s March Global’s 2020 title is “March For Our Human Rights” and is focused on bodily autonomy, the right to decide for one’s own body
On January 18, millions of women and allies across the world will participate in the fourth annual march of Women’s March Global, a yearly event that brings together international change-makers committed to fighting for women’s human rights.
30+ marches will be taking place in 20 countries across the world. The theme of this year’s march is bodily autonomy, drawing attention to the systemic oppression women face in their attempts to exercise sovereignty over their bodies.
“The subversion of women’s human rights is extremely detrimental to the significant progress women have made over hundreds of years in their quest for social justice and equality,” said Women’s March Global Executive Director Uma Mishra-Newbery. “Collective action is needed to overcome this systemic discrimination and advance human rights.”
In the last year alone, there has been a significant rollback in women’s reproductive, sexual and human rights. At a recent United Nations General Assembly meeting, the United States joined 19 nations including Bahrain, Belarus, Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen in declaring that women have no international right to abortion. The member states who denied women access to safe and legal abortion represent 1.3 billion people.
This year’s March For Our Human Rights will call attention to the dangerous and alarming repeal of women’s rights to bodily autonomy, bringing international attention to these pressing issues. By harnessing the power of the women’s human rights movement through action-oriented solutions, the March will be instrumental in inspiring a new decade of progress in the push for civil and social equality.
Women’s March Global is partnered with organisations Amnesty International, SheDecides, International Planned Parenthood Federation, Planned Parenthood Federation of America Global, WOW International, Equality Now, Marie Stopes International, and Minority Veterans of America for this year’s March. These international organisations have a deep-rooted history advocating for the advancement of women’s rights and devoting resources and services to support women in need across the world.
“Women’s March Global is honoured to be working alongside such impact driven organisations that have been such a force for change for women worldwide. Together, we will inspire change and launch women and their allies into a new decade of activism,” said Mishra-Newbery.
The Marches will be live-streamed to reach a wider audience, enable greater international participation, and showcase the power of the women’s rights movement across all digital channels.
For more information on Women’s March Global Chapters, March locations, routes or additional campaign material, please visit www.womensmarchglobal.org.