A Student Reflects on the March for Women's Lives

By Sarah Whitney Asplin, University of Denver, Colorado

April 25, 2004, was one of the most exciting days in recent memory, and a monumental moment that solidified my commitment to advancing women's status in my own community and in communities I will never see. On that day, more than one million women gathered in our nation's capital to support women's rights to safe and legal abortion and, most importantly, accessible support that empowers us all lead healthy and productive lives in the United States and around the world.

The March for Women's Lives boasted a crowd that stretched clear across the National Mall from the Capitol to the Washington Monument. The march was organized by seven principle sponsors: The American Civil Liberties Union, Black Women’s Health Imperative, Feminist Majority, NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, National Organization for Women and Planned Parenthood Federation of America. These seven were joined by thousands of co-sponsoring organizations including AAUW. It was breathtaking to see such a congregation of men and women committed to women's rights.

A diverse list of speakers that included Hillary Rodham Clinton and Dolores Huerta punctuated the day. Speakers addressed many issues from education policy to childcare and living wages to racial profiling and reproductive rights. One issue that seemed to resonate with the crowd was the current underfunding of international family planning organizations like the United Nations Population Fund. Another hot topic was the extension of marriage rights to gay and lesbian Americans. While the march was non-partisan, marchers and speakers were highly critical of the Bush Administration and its policies.

The work of organizers did not end with the march. Their fight continued into this November as sponsoring organizations, including AAUW, turned out women in record numbers for the election. With a new legislative session set to begin in January, issues at the heart of at the March for Women’s Lives will remain at the forefront of our watch and advocacy.

For photos from the March for Women's Lives, information on AAUW's advocacy efforts, and to join the fight to protect reproductive rights and women’s freedoms, visit the Issue Advocacy area of AAUW’s website. [Web links are no longer active]

Learn more about AAUW's history of activism in the AAUW Online Museum.