SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — On Saturday, San Diego's Waterfront Park became the stage for a powerful demonstration of unity and activism, as approximately 1,000 people gathered to celebrate International Women's Day.
International Women's Day has been a tradition since the early 1900s, combining a rally and march to highlight women's achievements and shed light on ongoing political, economic, and gender equality issues.
Organized by Tabitha Wolf, the event drew both women and men from various backgrounds, all united in their commitment to defend democracy.
"Our rights are at stake. Our democracy is at stake, and we have to stand up,"
Various women spoke up about different issues that concerned them regarding recent decisions made by the Trump Administration.
Kimberly Lynch spoke out against recent proposals to cut hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid funding.
"I have a 90-year-old father," Lynch said. "They are scared to death that they won't be able to make it a month if Social Security and Medicaid is cut. They earned that, they deserve that, you don't give that money back to rich billionaires."
Valerie Hardie, both a singer and marcher, expressed her concern over recent federal job cuts.
"I am sad that so many federal employees who are great at their jobs and work to keep us safe and to keep our economy running have lost their jobs," Hardie said.
A woman who went by "Grandma Essie" said she came out on Saturday because she refused to stay home and knit. Instead, Essie joined the march to protest ongoing conflicts.
"I am here because I cannot stand the genocide going on in Palestine and the atrocities going on in Ukraine," Essie said.
Of course, mothers of all kinds came to the march as well, including Nancy Behm and Lisa Rigg, who organized a pre-march event to promote various organizations and its causes.
Behm said she wanted to show parents how they can be a part of what she called, 'The Resistance'.
"I'm really hoping to show parents how accessible and easy it is to spend one minute a day contacting their representatives at the federal level," Behm said. "We've got a bunch of ways to send letters to your representative or give them a phone call. Every little bit of action makes a difference. If we all are collectively doing one action a day we can build the future for our kids."
This gathering in San Diego was part of a global celebration, emphasizing that while progress has been made, there is still work to be done in achieving true equality for all.
