Marches in Regina, Saskatoon draw supporters of women's and gender-diverse rights despite cold
'We can't believe we still have to fight this fight, but we're here representing women,' says Regina marcher
Dozens came out in support of women's and gender-diverse people's rights in Regina and Saskatoon on Saturday, despite frigid temperatures.
"We're here in 40-below weather because this matters so much to us, to be seen and heard and part of a global movement," said Jenna Swift, who was part of the march in Regina.
"We can't believe we still have to fight this fight, but we're here representing women."
Events were organized in many North American cities Saturday for Women's March, a global movement focused on fighting sexism and exploitation.
Marchers in Saskatchewan braved temperatures that sat around the –25 C point in both cities on Saturday afternoon.
Krystal Kolodziejak, a community volunteer with Women's March Regina, said she was happy with the turnout despite the cold, with an estimated 100 people joining the march.
"We shifted the march from being in the month of March, to be with International Women's Day [on March 8], back to January to be in solidarity with the American marches, with the inauguration [of U.S. president elect Donald Trump] coming up," said Kolodziejak.
Kolodziejak said the day of awareness is important for many reasons, including drawing attention to the issues of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, as well as Saskatchewan's intimate partner violence rate, which is nearly double the national average.
"And then, of course, we're supporting reproductive rights and making sure that people have access to the resources, services and education that they need to make those choices," she said.
Women's March Saskatoon estimated a similar turnout of about 100 people at the march in that city, which had the theme, "our bodies, our futures."
"It's easy to take our rights for granted," communications co-ordinator Kate Lardner said in a release from the organization.
"But as we saw with Roe v. Wade being overturned in the United States, it is imperative that we continue to advocate for and defend the rights that are important to our health, safety, and equity."