For the second year, Gainesville residents congregated downtown Saturday for the Women’s March, a nationwide movement for the empowerment of women.
Despite the less-than-perfect weather conditions, a group of 30 women, men and children met Saturday at the Eternal Flame monument at Roosevelt Square in downtown Gainesville to march together as a stand for women.
The movement began in 2017, when thousands of people flooded the streets of Washington to encourage women to speak out against inequality. The statement of women’s empowerment soon began taking over major cities, Atlanta included.
Elizabeth Casper, the organizer for the Gainesville Women’s March, said she started the event for those women like herself, who could not attend the massive marches scattered across the nation.
“Maybe they have to work on weekends, or don’t have a car that is dependable to go down there,” Casper said. “I also wanted to do it, because I want to support women getting into positions in office and general positions of power. I want voices heard.”
The group marched around the Gainesville square with umbrellas and signs in hand. The weather conditions were not ideal, but the turnout was still impressive, Casper said.
Following the march, the group met outside of Waldorf and Wonder, a shop located inside of Main Street Market. Several women gave speeches to the audience as encouragement and inspiration. Topics ranged from health care and housing, to getting involved with state legislators.
“This is really like a big tent movement,” Marisa Pyle, a speaker at the march, said. “There’s room for so many different experiences, so many different people and so many different passions, that to see everyone really come together, express what they want to change, the things they want to accomplish and to feel included, is really amazing.”
