Trump

Donald Trump, eh? Good grief! He’s now the President of the United States and spent his first day in office telling the world that there were record numbers at his Inauguration on Friday when we have photographs showing a low turnout. It’s going to be an interesting 4 years!
I marched on the Women’s March on London last Saturday. It was in solidarity with the march on Washington and one of 700 marches across 70 countries. We marched to stand up for and defend the rights and freedoms of all people. As Yvette Cooper said at the rally in Trafalgar Square: ‘we’re marching because the most powerful man in the world says it’s ok to sexually assault women because he is rich and powerful and we say no way!’ It was incredible to be with 100,000 people bringing London to a halt. There were quite a lot of children, older women, babies, men and even dogs! The signs were so creative, some rude, some very funny. My favourite signs were ‘we shall overcomb’ and ‘I am very upset.’
Feminism gets a bad press but it’s simply believing that women deserve the same dignity and respect as men. I’m a feminist because 1 in 4 women in this country will experience domestic violence in their lifetime and 2 women are killed a week by a current or former partner. I’m a feminist because around the world girls are married off whilst they are still children and often die giving birth. And I’m a feminist because women billions of pounds are made every year by fashion, make up and cosmetic surgery industries from constantly telling women that our bodies are not good enough.
I marched in my clerical collar because I wanted to represent the Church of England. The Church has been slow to allow women as leaders, only agreeing to consecrate women bishops in 2014, but there are many of us who are feminists because of our faith, not in spite of it. Jesus spent his ministry defending and encouraging women: he saved a woman from being stoned to death, he stood up for women who were being criticized, he taught and encouraged women in their faith and he came to live among us to release and liberate all oppressed and downtrodden people. I marched as a feminist on Saturday – and as a Christian.

Reverend Laura Baker
Curate of King’s Lynn Minster

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