Eastern Sierra Women’s March Planned for January 20 in Bishop
Bishop, CA – Planning is underway for an Eastern Sierra Women’s March to be held in Bishop on Saturday, January 20. The event is open to everyone (not just women) and will kick off at 9 AM at the front of the Bishop City Park.
2017 Bishop Women’s March/Photo courtesy of Nancy Upham
The march is intended as a peaceful demonstration, with the goals of unifying the local community, promoting women’s rights and empowerment, and advancing social justice and environmental causes. Local community volunteers hope to spread awareness that efforts that empower women also help create thriving local communities.
Event planners include Jolie Varela, Janet Carle, Kim Mitchell, Jess Ary, Alondra Figueroa, Virginia Figueroa, Tiffany Lau, Julie Tiede, Fran Hunt and Shawn Louth. They are inviting Eastern Sierra residents toshow up and be counted as believing in a world that empowers women and is equitable, just and safe for all, where the rights and dignity of each person are protected and our planet is safe from destruction.
As expressed by Jolie Varela of Bishop, inclusivity and understanding are key themes of the march, “As an Indigenous woman I look forward to standing in solidarity with all women, all people, to protect and stand up for our future generations.”
Picking up on the power of diversity and unity, Virginia Figueroa of Bishop explained, “Women from different cultures and beliefs can come together to embrace and empower each other, help with the different challenges we face day to day, and make a better world for all.”
Mono County resident and volunteer, Janet Carle, explained her motivation for helping organize the event by saying, “Now more than ever, women need to raise our voices and take to the streets. 2018 is a critical year to work to preserve and expand progress on human rights, environmental protection, and climate action that we can’t take for granted anymore.”
Bishop resident Alondra Figueroa summed up many of the volunteer organizers’ hopes for the march well by saying, “I believe that when women come together, passion for many interrelated causes comes together. We unlock each other’s full potential, we harness incredible energy, and we create change. When we all come together in solidarity and empower each other, we empower the world.”
March organizers invite everyone who wants to participate to arrive at the front of the Bishop City Park by 9 AM. There will be a brief program of speakers and music before the march steps off. The march will begin and end at the City Park and additional activities are planned at the park following the march. Organizers are seeking to promote a tone of respect, honesty, and accountability throughout the event.
Participants are encouraged to dress for cold weather and bring signs to carry as they march. Volunteers are needed to help that day. Please contact Jess Ary at [email protected] if you would like to volunteer to help make the day a safe and successful one. Community groups are invited to apply to have a table at the post-march gathering in the park. Please contact Julie Tiede at [email protected] or 760-915-0052 if your group or organization would like to have a table.
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I guess we see what we want to see. I read the news release several times, and here are the words I saw: unity, just, safe, equitable and a better world for all. It’s hard to see how anyone could argue with those goals unless they were substituting their own words for those of the organizers. I will be proud to be there supporting all women.
I’ll be there, if for nothing more for educational reasons. But I still think life is just unfair for whole lot of men and women of all different ethnicities all over the country.
Would you say that to your daughter?
#getoverit
Does the #metoo campaign make you feel uncomfortable? Why so dismissive?
So Pro-Life or conservative women will be welcomed too ? We’ll see .
Curious, pro-life is simply a euphemism for anti-choice, specifically a woman’s choice to not have a child. This is the antithesis of the women’s movement and has nothing to do with being conservative or progressive. The fundamentalist christian, anti-choice movement have injected this issue into conservative politics in order to commandeer the Republican party.
Curious, pro-choice is simply a euphemism for anti-life, specifically a woman’s choice to kill a child. I find it amazing that you would deny someone’s freedom of speech/expression based on 1 single issue. There are many Pro Lifers I know who are pro environment, pro social justice, pro climate profiteering, pro empowerment ect. A lot of them are anti Trump. Its this kind of shallow thinking of ‘my way or the highway’ political thought that has led to the ‘do nothingness’ that career politicians have displayed that has led to the complete break down in the political process.
Oh I believe in choices . The choice to abstain and not get pregnant, the choice to use birth control, the choice to keep the baby or the choice to put baby up for adoption. (Would you look at that , nothing about religion in there) I just don’t believe in ending the life of a baby for convenience. Statistics show that’s what most babies are killed for … it wasn’t convenient for the mother , not the rape or incest excuse most pro-choice ppl throw around . Rape is only about %1 of abortions . I think this “women’s movement “ you speak of should include the unborn as well .
Curious, at what point do you draw the line? Some believe even birth control is immoral — will you let them legislate a ban on contraceptives?
Abortion is an ugly thing, I think most people would agree. I certainly do. But I challenge you to show me the statistics that abortion is primarily motivated by “convenience”. And would you allow rape victims the choice? How about when the mother will likely die during childbirth? Incest? Fetal health? How about the mental health of the mother? Single mothers too poor to raise a child — will you support funding for these mothers and their children? Or will you, as most conservatives, continue to cut funding for the disadvantaged?
Think all those Women’s protest marches this past week-end,the majority of the issues they are worried about is the step-back to Women’s rights since November 4,2016 and who won the election…so many things he does and says are like putting women below older,white creepy men’s thinking,saying and doing..and thinking if they got money they can do as they please to and with women….seems when I was looking at the march’s,many of the Women were holding posters bashing our great “leader” and his ignorant views…
Negative Ghost Rider …
The pattern is full
If you can’t find the numerous empowered women in our communities with the same rights as anyone else I don’t know what to say. How about Sheriff Ingrid Braun whom everybody loves and respects and was voted in in a landslide victory and will no doubt be voted another term if she desires, I hope she does, she’s got my vote.
Sorry ladies, please know I have well over a dozen women in my family who are very career driven and goal oriented people, not once have I heard one of them share the same goals stated in this article. They just go out and work their butts off to get what they want, no excuses.
Kudos to your family members and to the respected Sheriff. Those anecdotes don’t put an end to the many examples within our societies where injustices and inequities still exist.
I’m a career-driven, goal-oriented person (who also happens to be a woman), and I absolutely share the goals stated by the Women’s March. I look forward to participating in the march, and to the day when true equality is achieved, no excuses.