As part of ongoing celebrations of International Women’s Day, University of Wisconsin students and members of the Madison community gathered Wednesday to discuss key issues affecting women’s rights, ranging from the patriarchy to President Donald Trump.
The event, hosted by Madison Socialist Alternative and Socialist Students Madison, also tackled matters of LGBTQ+ rights to what changes to look out for under the Trump administration.
A Day Without Women: Madison community marches to advocate for women’s rights
Darletta Scruggs, an organizer with Chicago Socialist Alternative and an activist with the Black Lives Matter movement, pointed to capitalism as the root of patriarchal oppression that women experience. Scruggs condemned political parties that participate in the current political system.
“[The system] internalizes the logic and rules of capitalism and the patriarchy,” Scruggs said.
To show Trump his “racist, sexist and xenophobic” remarks will not be tolerated, Scruggs called on the audience to participate in the Women’s March in May.
As Scruggs herself put it, “not today boo.”
Madison community marches in solidarity with women around the country and world
Echoing a similar sentiment of promoting political activism, panelist Heather Huber, a member of the Madison branch of the National Organization for Women, encouraged feminists to stand up for reproductive rights at an April 14 rally to defend a women’s health clinic in Milwaukee.
Touching on the issue of immigration, Lupe Salmeron, a student at Edgewood College in Madison and immigration rights activist, spoke about her experiences as a Mexican immigrant.
Salmeron emphasized the idea that “no human being is illegal.”
“Not one day goes by in the news that Donald Trump doesn’t do something outrageous in the news,” Salmon said. “Trump signs executive orders like they’re nothing … like they don’t affect real people.”
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