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In Tampa, Florida, downtown streets were teeming with demonstrators on Sunday in recognition of International Women’s Day. The gathering sought to spotlight a spectrum of challenges confronting women across the United States.
Approximately 100 participants came together for a rally and subsequent march, aiming to raise awareness on topics such as reproductive rights, voting accessibility, and immigration policies.
The protestors assembled initially at Tampa City Hall before proceeding to Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. Along their route, they brandished signs and vocalized chants through the heart of downtown.
Chants such as, “When Black women are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” and “When immigrant women are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” echoed through the streets.
The organizers emphasized that this event was designed to unite individuals from diverse backgrounds, encouraging them to voice their concerns about the issues impacting women today.
“I had the choice of either just staying at home or being here, and I wasn’t going to not be here,” Emilee Seda of St. Petersburg said.
Seda said the issue of reproductive rights is personal for her.
“When Roe v Wade was overturned, I had gotten an IUD in my arm, and that messed with me completely,” Seda said. “I personally went through physical changes and suffered through that. And just that was just to take one option to protect myself. So, I can’t do that [anymore], I have to limit what I do.”
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, ending the constitutional right to an abortion.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Heartbeat Protection Act into law in 2023 which remains current state law.
The legislation prohibits most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
Others at the rally said they are concerned about voting laws and how they could affect future elections.
Bernadette Hornsby of Thonotosassa pointed to a federal bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last month.
The SAVE America Act that would require voters to prove U.S. citizenship using specific forms of identification, including a birth certificate.
“I’m totally concerned about my daughters and granddaughters,” Bernadette Hornsby said. “With the new voting law. It might hurt women’s, chance to vote because you have your name has to match your birth certificate. And a lot of women don’t have that,”
A similar bill H.B. 991, is also moving through the Florida Legislature after passing the state House last month.