Women’s March On Washington Sweeps The Globe: More Than 600 ‘Sister Marches’ Held In Cities Around The World

Tens of thousands of women and their supporters took to the streets of Washington D.C. to participate in the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday. And as the march progressed, with massive crowds on the streets of the capital city, tens of thousands of women also participated in solidarity marches around the world.

The Women’s March on Washington movement was sparked off, according to Reuters, by a Facebook request for a women’s march by Teresa Shook in Hawaii. Her statement, “I think we should march,” circulated among her Facebook friends and eventually snowballed into a global phenomenon that has encompassed people of all genders and races, including LGBTQ and minorities from around the world.

All participants in marches held today across the globe were united against discrimination against women and xenophobia. They marched in support of civil rights and protested divisive and vitriolic political rhetoric that characterized the 2016 general election.

Vox reported that marches were planned in about 60 countries around the world in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington. More than 600 “sister marches” took place in cities around the world, with an estimated 2.2 million people participating globally in support of women’s rights, LGBTQ and minorities rights, according to the Daily Mail.