All around the world we march.

The annual Women’s March happened around the world Jan. 20 and 21.

Many participated in Women’s March in Louisville this past Sunday. People attended this march to support women’s rights. It’s important that men and women alike support these marches for many reasons.

The Women’s March is an annual rally where men and women gather to advocate for women’s rights.There is not one single rally rather there are multiple marches around the world. There were a reported 653 marches during this past weekend in the United States alone and a few of them had over 100,000 marchers. More than 5,000 people gathered at the Louisville Women’s March, which occured on Sunday Jan. 21. Louisville’s second annual march was held outside the Muhammad Ali center in downtown Louisville.

Topics such as LGBT rights, female rights and immigrant rights are just some of the topics discussed at these events. Speakers at the event included representatives for the Black Lives Matter organization, Planned Parenthood and The Fairness campaign.

This year was sophomore Serene Lewis’ second time going to the event. “I went for the first time last year and I fell in love with the community. Everyone is so welcoming and accepting. Everyone is radiating nothing but love…The best part is always listening to speeches and stories people tell. They’re always empowering and never fail to send chills down your spine. It really connects everyone no matter what background they come from,” said Lewis.

The event attracted thousands of people to the Louisville area. Senior Sarah Thornsberry did not get the chance to attend the march this year but would love to attend a Women’s March in the future. “If there was a march for any group of people who were not being treated with equality I would march with them, not just the women. As a woman, this march is extremely close to me and something I support undoubtedly, because I see these issues day in day out and watch as they destroy lives,” said Thornsberry.

While it may seem like women in the US have a lot of rights compared to other countries, we as a country are still lagging behind when it comes to things like the gender wage gap and reproductive rights for women. It’s important for men and women alike to unite for women around the world as well as close to home. “Not only do I think it’s important for women to support these marches, I think it’s important for men to as well. When you look at the things these women are standing up for–sexual assault, wage gaps, free breast feeding– they’re not frivolous. They’re things that affect women everyday. As a society we preach equality, but when it comes to light that that isn’t the honest truth many plug their ears because it threatens their way of life. We should, as a whole, listen to the problems of others and attempt to better the system for everyone,” said Thornsberry.

To those who may not support these marches it is important to consider the things women are fighting for. “Listen to what these people are standing up for. The news sources will cover these marches and add their own little sprinkles of propaganda, whether they are Republican or Democrat. Instead of looking at it as something you need to politically support or deny, look at it as the stories and history of each and every person there. There is a reason they are there and it’s not to attack your way of life, its to improve theirs. It’s not us versus them, it’s us versus injustice, in every form imaginable,” said Thornsberry.

For more information on the Women’s March visit www.womensmarch.com.