Women marched for the second time yesterday since Americans voted Donald Trump in as the president of the United States. Donald Trump’s anti-woman platform, calling for an overturn of Roe v. Wade, 20 week abortion bans, attacks on women’s healthcare, and his joking about groping women, as well as attacks on free speech, immigrants, non-whites, LGBTQ people, the disabled, and non-Christians spurred the original Women’s March a day after his election. Crowds across the country set a new record, the largest peaceful march ever held in the United States. The march for lesbian, gay, and bisexual equality in 1993 wes beat by over three times the attendance, at least 3.3 million protestors.
This year, women and others in support of equality and civil rights marched once again against Donald Trump. Though their numbers weren’t as large, and organization wasn’t as thorough as it had been last year, millions of people took to the streets to protest against authoritarianism and attacks on civil rights. In a move that should not be surprising, Apple voiced their support for the protestors, and featured apps to help protestors stick together and fight for their rights.
How Far Did Apple’s Support Go?
Apple didn’t make a public statement. However, Apple featured apps to help users connect to each other, as well as their government. There were apps like Find my Friends and Firechat, to help you stay in constant contact with your friends, even if cell networks went down. Apple also featured apps from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to help protestors report any wrongdoings of law enforcement officials. Planned Parrenthood got a shout out as well.
Apple threw their support behind the Women’s March, and therefore against the Trump administration. As long as the GOP continues attacks against women’s rights, as long as women’s work and potential is valued less than a man’s, and as long as civil liberties are being threatened, there will be a women’s march. Support from companies like Apple means a lot, and can set an example to corporations everywhere: support women and women will support you. Apple has worked hard to ensure women’s rights at their companies, helping to promote and hire women, and even offers fertility plans for women who may want to defer pregnancy until later in life to pursue their career ambitions. The tech industry has been anti-woman for years, but efforts from companies like Apple can help us change that.