Northerners march in solidarity with Women's March on Washington - Action News
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Northerners march in solidarity with Women's March on Washington

Hundreds of people joined marches Saturday in Yellowknife and Whitehorse, organized to show support for equality and human rights in the wake of Donald Trump's inauguration as U.S. president.

'The world we want isnt here yet, and we still have a lot of work left to do,' says Yellowknife organizer

Dozens of women and their supporters gathered in Yellowknife Saturday to stand in solidarity with the thousands of women who marched in Washington, D.C and other cities across the world. (Alex Brockman/CBC)

Hundreds of people joined marches Saturdayin Yellowknife and Whitehorse, organized to show support for equality and human rights in the wake of Donald Trump's inaugurationas U.S. president.

The demonstrations were organized to coincide with the Women's March on Washington, and other similar events being held across Canada and around the world.

In Yellowknife, dozens came to show their support for a variety of social justice issues: reproductive rights, rights for people with disabilities, Indigenous issues and violence against women.

Meghan Housley marched in Yellowknife, one of dozens of women to take part in the solidarity march with thousands of women across the world. (Alex Brockman/CBC)

"I'm standing for what's right," said Meghan Housley, who wore a "Nasty Woman" button one of the march's slogans taken from a comment Trump directed at Hillary Clinton during the U.S presidential campaign.

"It's important to be here in solidarity with women around the world and in Washington, these issues aren't just happeningin the United States," she said.

The march in Yellowknife focused on a wide range of issues, including reproductive rights, Indigenous rights and workers' rights. (Alex Brockman/CBC)

"I think it's a really important moment to take a step back and acknowledge that the world we want isn't here yet, and we still have a lot of work left to do," said Nancy MacNeill, who's helping organize the Yellowknife march.

"It's not about [Trump]. It's really about this acknowledgement that there are a lot of oppressed and marginalized people across the world who aren't well represented by their political system."

In other words, she says, the Yellowknife march is not just for, or about, women.

"I've always considered myself an 'intersectional feminist', which means that basically, it's not about women.It's about everybody. It's about human beings, and egalitarianism, and equality for everybody."

'We need to mobilize'

Sarah Murphy, who's helping organize the Whitehorse march, agrees that even though the demonstrations have been inspired by Trump and his rhetoric, "this is so much bigger than just one individual.

"The moment that Trumpwas elected, we've seen hate crimes rise across our country, we've seen people with ideas that other people are somehow less than them suddenly voicing them comfortably and that's pretty alarming."

In Whitehorse, an estimated 200 people braved -35 C temperatures for their march in solidarity with marches happening around the world. (submitted by Pavlina Sudrich)

She says it's wrong to think that Canada is somehow immune to hateful ordivisive rhetoric.

"We need to talk about it, and we need to mobilize and stand together," she said.

Lineups stretches city blocks in Whitehorse as marchers came out in solidarity with marches for women's rights happening across the world. (submitted by Pavlina Sudrich)

With files from Juanita Taylor, Sandi Coleman and Alex Brockman