Sask. issues drive local women to march in solidarity with anti-Trump protest
Tens of thousands expected at Women's March on Washington; Saskatoon march starts at City Hall at 10 a.m.
Pay inequality and access to abortion in Saskatchewan are among the issues Saskatoon women say are prompting them to march in solidarity with the Women's March on Washington on Saturday.
About 200,000 people are expected to take part in the demonstration protesting Donald Trump's election as U.S. president in Washington D.C.
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Sister marches are being held across Canada, including one in Saskatoon. More than 600 such marches are planned worldwide, according to organizers.
Courtnay Hughes, one of the organizers of the Saskatoon march, said although Trump's election was an American issue it has led to global reaction.
"I'm almost seeing, like, there's this sort of new wave of feminism that's happened and I think women are relating to it, and outside of women too," said Hughes.
"People of all genders are connecting to this concept that women's rights are human rights and I think this is also kind of a reaction to that too."
She said pay inequality and issues with access to abortion services, particularly for women in northern Saskatchewan, were among the reasons she felt it was important to march in Saskatoon.
"It's easy to watch what's happening in the States and be upset about it, to think about the issues that are happening there," she said.
"But we also have to look in our own backyard and think about the equality issues that are facing women here in this province."
Alice de Cloedt said Trump's election was one of the biggest political events of her lifetime.
She wants to march because she believes his election will lead to negative change.
"As a mom of a young child and a teacher, I believe that gender should not dictate how I bring up my child and how my child grows and learns in this world," she said.
The Saskatoon march starts at 10 a.m. CST at City Hall.
With files from CBC Radio's Saskatchewan Weekend