Women's March, Manchester 2021
By Gemma Aitchison
Last weekend I attended the Women's March For Justice in Manchester. Home of the Pankhursts, and of the Pankhurst statue. Just over 100 women and girls gathered. I was heartened to see women of multiple classes, races, disabilities, ages and organisations all coming together to say ENOUGH.
This is the week where Cosby, said to have had over 60 victims, saw his conviction overturned on a technicality. His rights were made a priority and a woman (Britney) with no victims was denied hers. Another example of state-condoned and enabled violence against women and girls.
— Emma Hilton (@FondOfBeetles) July 3, 2021
The route was significant. And although multiple men tried to be disruptive, the general public seemed to be accepting of the march and its message.
"Whatever we wear, wherever we go, yes means yes and no means no"
There were speakers at the end of the march.
Gemma Aitchison: "We are not disposable, replaceable, acceptable collateral damage, we are human beings and we deserve the right to justice!"
A girl who I won't name because she's a minor: "What can we do when we live in a patriarchal world, a world that revolves around men? What if we lived in a world where patriarchy didn't decide [for] us? A world without war, a world of peace and of justice - I hope we can achieve that."
Helena Coates: "I'd like to propose that we come together and spread the word to get involved with the public consultation on the GM Gender-Based Violence Strategy. They're not really honouring women and girls."
Belstaffie: "When I went into this community (Holbeck) I listened to them rather than tell them what to do - I worked with them. And I shifted to focus and the shame from the women to the punters where it belongs."
A little girl who I won't name because she's a minor: "I am glad to see all these women here so I have a safer future and I am glad I came to this march!"
This was a march of righteous anger. Of coming together to say to the male-dominated governments and justice system - we see you. We see what you're doing, we know why you're doing it and we will not allow it to go on unchallenged. For the nine out of ten girls feeling unsafe at school because of rape culture, for the majority of rape victims who get no justice, to the nine out of ten victims of domestic abuse that family courts work against and to the women's names added to the ever-growing list of the dead because the justice system failed to prevent.
