Frequently
Asked Questions (from
the official March for Choice web site)
When
and where is the March?
Where do I go the morning of the March?
How can I find transportation and lodging?
Are there any buses leaving from my
area?
How can I find other Marchers in my
area?
Will there be simultaneous marches
across the country on April 25th, 2004?
How can I order official March buttons
and t-shirts?
Anti-Choice Rumor Control
I cannot attend the March but would
love to help out - what can I do in my area?
Are organizations and individuals
from other countries invited to participate in the
March for Women's Lives?
What is the distance of the March?
Will there be accommodations for people
who cannot negotiate the March route and rally?
Do you have any organizing tips?
When
and where is the March?
The
March for Women’s Lives will take place Sunday,
April 25th, 2004. Assembly is at 10am on the National
Mall between 3rd and 14th Sts (between the Smithsonian
Museums). There will be a morning program of speakers
and entertainment. After the actual March, there
will be another rally with speakers and performers
in the afternoon, ending by about 5pm.
Where
do I go the Morning of the March?
Assembly
is at 10am on the National Mall between 3rd and
14th Sts (between the Smithsonian Museums). If you
have registered your delegation with the March Office,
you will have a pre-determined assembly point on
the Mall. If you have not done so already, register
your delegation online by visiting http://www.marchforwomen.org
and clicking "Form a Delegation."
The
perimeter of the Mall will be lined by clearly-identified
volunteers who will direct delegation members to
their “official” assembly point on the
Mall. Please do NOT arrange a meeting place beforehand
for your delegation. Directing everyone to the Mall
will save time and minimize confusion so that your
group can enjoy the morning program before the March
actually steps off at 12 noon.
How can I find transportation
and lodging?
Visit
the official March for Women’s Lives Travel
Guide at http://www.marchforwomen.org/travel.
This webpage contains links to various online travel
guides, and it also has a list of hotels, hostels,
and campgrounds compiled by the March office. Here
you will find directions, parking and Metro information,
and more!
Also,
since the National March Office cannot take on the
huge task of coordinating travel and housing arrangements,
connecting with your local organizers or organizing
your own group may be the most effective method
of finding transportation and lodging at reasonable
prices. If you log on to the March website using
your email address and password, you can click on
“Get Local” and view lists of people
who have volunteered to be local contacts for their
area. Many times, these organizers have included
their transportation and lodging information on
this site. To find other Marchers locally, you could
also attend a March for Women’s Lives Meetup
or try contacting your local women’s organizations
to see what their plans are for the March.
Whatever
you decide for lodging, you need to book a room
as soon as possible. Many activities will be happening
in DC the weekend of the March in addition to the
regular busy April tourist season!
Are
there any buses leaving from my area?
Log
on to the March website, and go to the “Get
Local” section and click on your state to
view a list of local organizing contacts. Many times,
these organizers have listed their bus arrangements
with their contact information. (Note: You must
be registered to log in with your email and password.)
If Get Local does not help you, try connecting with
others in your area by attending a Meetup or contacting
your local women’s organizations to see if
they are making bus arrangements.
How
can I find other Marchers in my area?
1)
Log on to the March website and click on “Get
Local” to view a listing of people in your
area who have volunteered to be local contacts for
the March (Note: You must register on the site in
order to access this page). “Get Local”
is a great way for people to connect with local
organizing contacts and become more involved.
2)
Attend a March for Women’s Lives Meetup in
your area. Meetup.com provides people online with
the opportunity to meet each other offline to discuss
similar interests. Meetups happen on the first and
third Tuesday of each month until the March on April
25, 2004. These Meetups will work to unite March
supporters within local areas so that you can work
as a group to address issues such as recruitment,
travel, publicity and lodging logistics. Find out
more about Meetups, and register online at http://marchforwomen.meetup.com.
3)
Contact local women's rights groups in your area.
See what efforts they are putting towards the March
and how you can help. You can browse our list of
co-sponsors as a starting point, but don't stop
there! Try searching online or contacting your local
women's center or women's commission for suggestions.
Will
there be simultaneous marches across the country
on April 25th, 2004?
Though
we understand the desire for simultaneous marches,
we have chosen to put all of our efforts and resources
into bringing people from all across the country
to one place for several reasons. Historically,
simultaneous marches have reduced our impact rather
than increased it. Another reason for all efforts
to be pooled towards one march is the symbolic and
practical result of unity within our movement. Bringing
everyone together in one place unites feminists
from all over the country, including those from
big cities and small towns alike. People from coast
to coast will be able to meet each other, build
connections, and promote a stronger solidarity that
will boost our energy and reinforce our work.
It
is important to remember that the March is one step
in an on-going process. It is not the end or final
step. Even if you cannot attend the actual March
in Washington, DC, you can get involved at the local
level both prior to the March and afterwards when
your local Marchers come home. Attend a March for
Women’s Lives Meetup or contact your local
organizers to find out what you can do for the March
in your area!
How
can I order official March buttons and t-shirts?
March
for Women’s Lives buttons are for sale on
the official March website. Just click on “Order
March Buttons” and either mail or fax us your
order! If you have any questions, contact the March
Office at info@marchforwomen.org.
March
T-shirts are being sold through a separate company.
The information and order form are all on the March
website. Click on “Order March T-shirts”
and follow the instructions on the order form. T-shirts
and buttons are great fundraising tools and can
be bought in bulk at discount prices. Be sure to
order them as soon as possible so that they arrive
in time for the March!
Anti-Choice
Rumor Control
Some
participants in the March for Women’s Lives
have written in concerned about the possibility
of counter-protests on April 25th. Anti-choice groups
have set up web sites and sent around emails, hoping
to scare us into staying home. Let’s not be
fooled: these anti-choice groups are often full
of hot air. While there will likely be counter-protesters
on April 25th, most of the information currently
being circulated is false, and we should not trust
their claims.
The
First Amendment grants them their right to hold
a counter-protest; it does not grant them the right
to interfere with ours, and DC police are already
negotiating with them to determine a specific site
for their counter-protest that will minimize the
possibility of confrontation. The anti-choice protesters
do not have a permit yet. The route that they show
for our March is not the correct one. Our March
permit request includes the sidewalks in question.
Permits are usually not granted until just before
a major event.
Most
importantly, the numbers they claim are a bald-faced
lie. The anti’s are not capable of mobilizing
tens of thousands for this event, as they claim.
Moreover, even if they do, it will be less than
1% of our numbers. The best way to show majority
support for reproductive rights in America is to
come to Washington on April 25th!
I
cannot attend the March but would love to help out
– what can I do in my area?
1)
Get the word out! The March office has great organizing
tools available such as posters, flyers, palmcards,
and stickers that can be distributed in many different
ways. Use our online Materials Request form or call
the March office to get these materials shipped
to you. We also have materials on our website that
can assist you in your organizing.
2)
Contact other Marchers in your area and contribute
to their organizing efforts! Go to our “Get
Local” page, attend a March for Women’s
Lives Meetup, or connect with local women’s
organizations in your area. Building connections
within your area is not only helpful in the short-term
for the March, but it also has the long-term benefit
of working towards our cause long after the March
is over.
Are
organizations and individuals from other countries
invited to participate in the March for Women’s
Lives?
Of
course! We must march not only for ourselves and
against current domestic policies, but also for
the millions of women around the world impacted
every day by anti-women U.S. foreign policy. One
of the most dangerous U.S. policies is the Global
Gag Rule which prohibits any foreign non-governmental
organization (NGO) that receives U.S. family planning
funds from using their own money to provide any
service related to abortion, including advocating
for abortion law reform. Planned Parenthood Global
Partners and other supporting organizations (the
full list of co-sponsors is available here) of the
March have put together an International Working
Group and are organizing to bring over 100 women
from around the world to March for reproductive
freedom for EVERY woman. To join this discussion,
please contact Janette Robinson at janette.robinson@ppfa.org
or 202-973-4869.
What
is the distance of the March?
The
March route is approximately 2 miles long.
Will
there be accommodations for people who cannot negotiate
the March route and rally?
We
will have open-air trolleys transporting people
through the March route who otherwise could not
participate. There will also be a special seating
area at the morning and afternoon rallies for those
who cannot stand along with those who need to view
ASL interpreters. Attendees are encouraged to bring
their own wheelchairs if possible. If you are a
member of a registered or soon-to-be registered
delegation, make sure your delegation leader indicates
your seating needs on the online delegation form.
If you are not part of a delegation and need seating
on a trolley and/or at the rally, please contact
the March Office at info@marchforwomen.org with
your name, contact info, and number of seats needed.
Do
you have any organizing tips?
Organizing
materials are available on the March website. These
materials are updated regularly, so please be sure
to check back and make sure you have the most current
information. You should also register for our new
bulletin board. Users can swap organizing techniques,
ask questions, and connect with other Marchers across
the globe.
We
keep March organizers updated in our email updates,
which provide current information on the National
March activities as well as what's happening in
the field. These updates go out to everyone registered
for the March, so make sure you are signed up on
our website. If you are forming a delegation, be
sure to register your delegation online and continuously
update your information.
Finally,
we highly recommend that you attend a Meetup in
your area to connect with others interested in organizing
for the March. You can read more about March for
Women’s Lives Meetups on our website. Then
you can sign up to join a Meetup in your local area
at http://marchforwomen.meetup.com.
Meetups happen on the first and third Tuesday of
each month until the March on April 25, 2004. If
there are not enough people in your local area for
a Meetup, spread the word to your friends and local
activist groups. You only need 5 people for a Meetup
but it's always better with more!
