I am joining the disability march because I am a woman with disabilities who believes in equality and human rights for everyone, especially women, minority groups, immigrants, people with disabilities and the list goes on.  The growing movements in the United States to squelch women’s rights, discriminate against immigrants, racial minorities, religious minorities etc., are distressing to me.  Thus, I believe that people everywhere need to speak out against the continuing economic, political, and social injustices in the United States and throughout the world.  I agree with statement of Women’s March organizers that the march is  “more about being proactive about women’s rights,” and, more broadly, “a stand on social justice and human rights issues ranging from race, ethnicity, gender, religion, immigration and  healthcare”  These issues are not political issues, they are human issues, and we need to continue to speak out about them, especially when our rights are being threatened by recent developments in the United States that are divisive and draconian.  By speaking out together, we gain strength and hope.  This March symbolizes our commitment to working for the rights of all women, men, and children, no matter how long it takes. I share this commitment and pledge to continue to work for justice and promoting human rights for everyone.

I have advocated for human rights and justice for over 25 years. I am a member of Safe World for Women, a web community that supports development projects for women around the world.  I am working on pre-graduate school courses related to “Applied Multicultural and Gender Health Studies.” Additional experience includes writing about hospital experiences of patients and providers, being a hospital chaplain, perusing literature, popular press articles, and videos about these issues, blogging, and working on social justice projects with a variety of groups. I am committed to working for human rights for the rest of my life.