What's the point of the Women's March? It's different for almost every participant. Many of the hundreds who turned up for the second annual Cincinnati Women's March focused their protest squarely on President Trump; others were galvanized by the #MeToo movement and inequality in their careers. Still others wanted to send a message to their fellow marchers.
We asked 13 participants to tell us in their own words why they decided to march on Saturday afternoon.
"My son is going to be growing up in this world. I want to make sure he is raised in a society where women are valued and women are appreciated as equals."
Kinsey Hein, 29
"I joined the Young Women's club at my school, and I've learned that there are so many things in our society that aren't equal. I realize that I'm very fortunate, so I'm marching for everyone else who can't."
Janae Bacchus, 16
"We all need to stay together and remind each other that we have each other's backs, and to be supportive and to be allies. Otherwise, we're going to just let what's in motion stay in motion."
Jake Osborne, 24
"I have a grandson with cystic fibrosis, so the ACA is extremely important to me. … The main thing is saving our democracy, and a democracy includes everyone in that nation."
Eloise Mong, 83
"It feels good to get together with a bunch of women and girls that are really supportive of you. There are obvious changes that need to be made in our country, and when we get together like this, it's a way to show people what we think."
Maisy Nelson, 15
"I still think men are kind of getting the upper hand."
Emerson, 7
"DACA is an issue that's important not only to me but to my family as a whole. Being able to come here today with my siblings is really great."
Jeanine Garduno, 23
"Voting in general is something a lot of people have dropped out of, especially in my age group. A lot of people just don't care. I think no matter where you sit in your leanings, this is somewhere to find camaraderie and something to support."
Nova Grace, 20
"Unfortunately, I'm just seeing such a huge division in our country, and whatever is happening in Washington seems to have magnified that. I'm hoping with the midterms, we can find a way to bridge that divide."
Ursula Meyer, 68
"I work with Planned Parenthood, so I work a lot with abortion rights. I'm also a rape and abuse survivor, so I work with people who have suffered that, helping them get over it and find therapy. What we really need to take away from today is the need to include women of color and trans women in our movement."
Giorgia Close, 20
"I'm a woman in science; I'm currently in medical school. It's very important to me that women are encouraged to pursue fields that are not stereotypically for women if they want to."
Sruthi Sundaram, 23
"I have always been an Other in many aspects of my life. I'm tired of being the minority, and I'm tired of the drama this administration is visiting on women. People need to know that we're not going away, and we're not shutting up."
Becky Blank, 34
