Still feeling bereft from the result of the US election, no doubt aggravated by a severe bout of January blues? Fear not – now is your chance to galvanize.

On January 21 2017, the first day of Donald Trump’s Presidency (no, it wasn’t a bad dream and yes, it’s happening), women-led marches will take place across the world. And even though the largest march is expected in Washington D.C., women – and men, of course – on this side of the pond will also get a chance to march for the protection of their rights.

As well as London, 29 other cities around the world will be taking part.

Organisers are encouraging participants to ‘come together in the spirit of democracy’ to march for the ‘safeguarding of freedoms threatened by recent political events.’

‘We unite and stand together for the dignity and equality of all peoples, for the safety and health of our planet and for the strength of our vibrant and diverse communities,’ it says on the Facebook page for the event.

Various charities and organisations are supporting the sister rally in London, including Amnesty International and the Women’s Equality Party. Party co-founder Catherine Mayer told The Guardian, “I am a dual national and voted for Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin.”

“What happens in America impacts all of us,” she added. “The rights of women and of minority populations and vulnerable and low-income people are under threat and we must do everything we can to protect these rights and fight for true equality.”

Party leader Sophie Walker also adds that the movement comes at a crucial moment for women.

“This is the year for women to unite and mass to protect their rights in the face of a US administration and uncertain Brexit negotiation that threatens them and has created an environment in which many minorities feel threatened,” she said.

“WE are proud to partner this march and encourage all to stand strong in the face of racism, sexism, homophobia and all other kinds of discrimination. I am very proud to be joining men and women from across the country, and the world, to lead the walk across our capital. It is time for change – it is time for us to be that change.”

Kerry Haggerty-Thomas, who has helped coordinate the marches globally, described the response as humbling and overwhelming. According to the Facebook page for the London march, thousands of people will be attending and the event has been shared 16,000 times.

“We are hoping to have a large turnout in London and have been adding new marches daily which I think illustrates that people, no matter where they are in the world, need something positive,” she said. “We are hoping we can help be a voice for that going forward.”

Emma McNally, who is one of the planners coordinating the London march, described the election of Trump as the ‘tipping point’ in a dark year that has prompted a many voiced, cross-social alliance.

“Every day [last year] we turned on the news and were increasingly overwhelmed by the stories being reported: Aleppo, the Refugee Crisis, Austerity, the rise in hate crime, the rise in the rhetoric of division and fear, the spectacular ineptitude of our politicians to get past self serving agendas and rise to the challenges,” she says. “ So many felt ignored, left behind, invisible – that they didn’t matter.”

Emma noticed that when people started voicing their frustration on social media, rather than erasing division or finding answers, platforms like Facebook and Twitter merely intensified them.

“The Women’s March is an attempt to create the conditions for different sorts of conversations than the ones that exploit fear and uncertainty and lead to division and social turbulence,” she says. “It is an attempt towards opening up a space where we can come together, think together, act together for the benefit of us all. We will effectively resist forces of greed and oppression only by coming together and standing for dignity, equality and human rights.

“We expect there to be many single issue, laser focused political actions in the year ahead. Women’s rights are being seriously threatened along with the rights of so many. We will need to galvanise and mobilise to effectively fight back. We will need to broaden the scope of our concerns and stand by members of our society who are threatened because of poverty, race, gender – and for all the other reasons people’s lives are made precarious.

“The Women’s March on London will be an opportunity to get offline, get out on the streets together and to be strengthened by each other to fight back. From the start of planning The March we have made every effort to reach out to individuals, groups and organisations from all areas of social struggle. We have received wholehearted support and commitment and there is a growing sense of excitement at what could be possible.

“This is an exercise in alliance building, network building and we are hopeful that we can learn new strategies together to generate a brighter future for us all. We hope that to come together at the start of 2017 will help us to generate the strength, hope and commitment we need to be politically engaged in defence of all our rights, in defence of justice.”

Marchers are expected to assemble at Grosvenor Square W1 at 12.00pm on January 21. They will then make their way to Trafalgar Square for a rally beginning at 2pm.

For more information, visit the events page here.