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In solidarity with women, community members convened at Mountain View’s City Hall Plaza to commemorate International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 8.
The event — “Amplifying Women’s Voices” — centered on women’s stories and struggles and had a big focus on building community connections.
“It’s a community celebration of women and their allies,” said IdaRose Sylvester, one of the event organizers and founder of Together We Will Palo Alto Mountain View, a political action network.
“Speaking out” was a common refrain, as longtime community leader and advocate Sally Lieber handed off the mic to about a dozen people who spoke about gendered disparities in health care, housing, schools and the workplace.
The event also served as an occasion to elevate women’s voices from the audience, as many came up to the mic to share personal stories and poems about their own lives.
People listened from lawn chairs and the plaza steps, expressing appreciative applause and laughter far more often than chants. There were very few protest signs on display, too.
“It’s a new kind of event,” Sylvester said, noting that the occasion was not meant to be a protest or demonstration, but an opportunity for people to recharge and get to know each other better.
Several attendees remarked on the positive atmosphere, given the political milieu and upheaval of the past few months, they said.
“I’m treating it like a mental health exercise,” said Mountain View resident Kathi Minden. “It’s a positive way to belong and connect with neighbors feeling the same way.”
“From this little group we can grow,” she added.
