Why We March
Connect. protect. Activate.
Women’s March Chicago (WMC) brings together women and their allies in support of critical issues that affect women and girls including: equal rights; equal pay; reproductive justice; LGBTQ+ rights; immigrant rights; racial justice; affordable health care; voting rights; freedom from violence; access for persons with disabilities; mass incarceration; violence-free communities; climate change; gun violence prevention; and much more.
The Chicago Marches give individuals a place and space to make their voices heard, connect with like-minded people, and inspire marchers to become activists in their own communities.
A wholly independent organization, WMC formed organically in the wake of the 2016 election — as did Women’s Marches across the nation and the world. When it became clear that our basic rights were under attack and our most vulnerable citizens would need protection and assistance, we gathered en masse in Grant Park to express our outrage and show our might.
One of the country’s largest marching organizations, WMC has organized four massive Marches to date — in January 2017, January 2018, October 2018 and January 2020. With so much at stake in 2020, WMC will march twice this year. We will be back for a 2020 March to the Polls as we prepare to vote in the most consequential election of our lifetimes.
Our Mission
WMC advocates for women’s rights, promotes intersectional feminism, and challenges the political system regarding issues affecting women. The mission of WMC is guided by Chicago marchers and the city’s activist community and informed by the broader women’s movement.
WMC’s leads and participates in local and national actions, builds coalitions that create broader and more effective advocacy, and provides educational and civic engagement opportunities that lead to the advancement of civil rights and social change in Chicago and beyond.
BEYOND MARCHING
WMC is more than a single March. We are a movement. Throughout the year, we partner with other progressive organizations and co-sponsor actions at the national, state and local levels. For example, in 2019 WMC was part of a coalition (spearheaded by the ACLU of Illinois and Planned Parenthood Illinois Action) that worked tirelessly to move the landmark Reproductive Health Act, which safeguards abortion rights, through the Illinois legislature. To ensure the bill passed, WMC marchers filed witness slips, lobbied legislators, dressed as red-cloaked “handmaids” and sat in legislative sessions and more. Many were in the room when Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the historic act into law on June 12, 2019.
Whether we are amplifying actions through our robust social media platforms, providing marshals or speakers for events or getting our marchers to show up and speak up at other marches and rallies, we are there to help our partners accomplish their missions.
