Women's March

The California State Library holds the largest collection of posters carried by marchers in California. The collection both captures the “her-storic” moment and shows that women’s struggles for equality did not end with securing the right to vote in 1920.

The iconic "Rosie the Riveter" image was created to recruit women to work in factories and shipyards during World War II. For the seven decades since, Rosie has become an enduring symbol of women's strength and resilience.

Like “Rosie the Riveter,” Princess Leia, the leader of the resistance against the evil empire in “Star Wars,” is a symbol of female strength and empowerment, defying the “princess” stereotype.

Singer Cyndi Lauper's 1980s anthem "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" remains a spunky rallying cry for women's rights. Many posters contain riffs on Lauper's song title, making it one of the most popular phrases in the California State Library’s collection.

The Women’s March organizers desired a large-scale event to highlight social issues that impact all persons. The Black hand and symbols on the defiantly sharpened fingernails in this poster graphically illustrate the intersectionality of issues.

This play on the nostalgic phrase "Good Old Days" directly challenges the notion that past periods of American history and culture were, in fact, “good” for all Americans.

Enraged by a 2005 audio clip in which Donald Trump boasted that he could grope women without their consent, many marchers created homemade “pussyhats” in response to the vulgar language he used to describe women’s bodies. Others expressed their displeasure in highly stylized ways, like this poster from an Oakland artist.

Concerned over recent court decisions seen as restricting the ability of communities of color to participate in the electoral process, voting rights was an issue highlighted by many marchers. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), first introduced in 1923, proposes to add a constitutional guarantee of equal rights to all Americans regardless of sex.

The word “nasty” became a rallying cry among marchers after Donald Trump described his opponent, Hillary Clinton, as a “nasty woman” in a presidential debate. Hashtags featuring “nasty woman” helped catapult the phrase into the American consciousness and the term appeared on many posters.

Many California marchers carried posters calling on women from all parts of the world to unite. Organizers say 673 women’s marches occurred around the globe on January 21, 2017 – at least one on every continent, including Antarctica.

The role of social media in political elections became even more pronounced in 2016. This poster could be a reaction to the provocative tone of Donald Trump’s tweets or a response to some of the 1 billion+ election-related tweets logged between September 2016 and Election Day.

Several of the social issues in addition to women’s rights that were supported by marchers are included on this poster.

Many marchers found inspiration from fictional characters in literature, film, and television. Leslie Knope, the smart, career-focused character from “Parks and Recreation,” is defiantly optimistic, routinely enthusing about government’s ability to do good.

One of the songs from the 2015 musical “Hamilton” is "History Has Its Eyes on You." The term “Her-Story” is a reaction to a perception that much of history is focused on men's achievements. "Her-story" calls for the celebration of women's contributions as well.