Residents to host Alamogordo Women's March Sunday

ALAMOGORDO — We Trust Women, a local activist organization, will host the first Alamogordo Women's March Sunday in solidarity with the marches across New Mexico and the US. 

"Last year, a group of women from here went to Las Cruces and they allowed us to participate and allowed me to speak, which I was very honored to do," said Nadia Sikes, We Trust Women spokesperson and member. "Last year's march was kind of in opposition of what had been happening with the presidential election. This year it's taken on a different tone and it's more to highlight women's issues."  

Sikes explained the phase "We Trust Women" stems from the demonstration a group of community members host on the corners of 10th Street and White Sands Boulevard annually on the anniversary of the Supreme Court's ruling on Roe v. Wade. The idea behind the phrase is that women are trusted with making decisions about their bodies, their families, in their city or county and in their workplace. 

"We Trust Women is all-inclusive, it doesn't just mean the people who've been commemorating Roe v. Wade for the past number of years, it's for anybody who cares about women's issues," Sikes said. "In New Mexico, we think it's really important. Right now it means Medicaid, Medicare, jobs, education, Early Childhood Education, teacher's salaries, legalizing medicinal cannabis, it means a lot of things because every issue is a women's issue as well as a men's issue, child's issue and family issue." 

A hot topic these days, Sikes said now is the time for women to have a platform where they can voice their opinion. 

"If you look around the world at countries like Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Tunisia, Ukraine all have specific laws that specify that women are equal and will get equal pay for equal work," Sikes said. "They get vacation time, maternity leave and paternity leave to raise children and what do we have in comparison? It's almost embarrassing. Even at award shows, we're hearing that women deserve a platform to be able to say what they want, mean what they say and stand up for the truth." 

The event will begin at noon on Sunday, Jan. 21, on the steps of the Otero County Courthouse, 1000 N. New York Ave., and will proceed with a march along New York Avenue to 10th Street and White Sands Boulevard, along the Alameda Park Zoo perimeter to Alameda Park. 

Once at the park, attendees will hear from a number of speakers including Pastor Jeff Swanson, Pastor Kristi Koppel, Denise Lang and a representative of Reproductive Services Albuquerque who will talk about women's health issues. Attendees will also have a chance to voice their opinions on issues. 

"We want this march, this particular show of solidarity, to be inclusive of everybody," Sikes said. "We would like women, men, children, dogs – everybody. Not just to show everybody who's not there but also to show each other that we care about issues that relate to everybody. We hope people come out to show their support." 

For more information about the Alamogordo Women's March, visit the Facebook invitation at www.facebook.com/events/1789810964423297/.