By: Natalie Lim and Vanessa Reich-Shackelford

On January 21, 2017, women and men from all around the world came together in support of each other, and in opposition to oppression, bigotry, and misogyny. And it was beautiful. The Women's March on Washington was a show of solidarity, an affirmation that women's rights are human rights, and proof that people around the world are ready to listen to each other, stand by each other, and do work. 

Now that the March is over, it's abundantly clear that there is much work to be done - and not just in the United States, because Canadians have a role to play as well. Here are a couple of practical actions that you can take to continue showing your support for women, marginalized communities, and other vulnerable populations in the coming weeks and months. 

1) Contact Your Representatives

The official Canadian Women's March page has released an editable Call to Action letter on their website, addressed to the leaders of Canada's major political parties. Among other things, this letter asks our leaders to uphold the indelible human rights of all women, that national strategies be put in place to address child care and violence against women, and for a commitment to the national inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. You can download the letter here.

2) Be a Mentor for Women in STEM

The Government of Canada's Status of Women Initiative has the goal of developing methods to attract and retain women in technology and advance the Canadian digital economy. As part of this initiative they have provided our partner, the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST), with the funding to create Make Possible, a free mentoring network for women in STEM! Mentoring can be fulfilling work that promotes, educates, and uplifts women to their full potentials. With key national science programs always at risk, and with such low numbers of women and girls entering STEM fields, this type of support is hugely important. Interested? You can learn more about Make Possible here; if you would like to support SCWIST with a monetary donation instead, you can find more information here. 

3) Donate to Organizations that Support Women (Especially Women in STEM)

There are a number of great Canadian organizations you can support, especially those that benefit women and girls in STEM. Check out the following and make a donation, if you can:

Amnesty International (Canadian Chapter) 
Amnesty International is a multinational organization that works to protect and promote human rights, through legislature, public awareness campaigns, and more. Their donation page is here.

The Vancouver Downtown Eastside Women's Centre
This centre provides a number of services to local women, including recreation and self-help programs, support and assistance to women survivors of crime and violence, and a Power of Women program that provides marginalized women with leadership training and workshops. Their donations wishlist for towels, clothing, and other needed items is here; you can make a monetary donation here. 

Math Catcher
Math Catcher aims to promote mathematics and scholarship to Aboriginal students through the creative use of First Nations imagery and storytelling. The program offers free visits to schools across British Columbia, and organizes summer math camps and workshops at Simon Fraser University every year. You can donate directly to Math Catcher by going to this page and typing "Math Catcher" in the text box.

Ladies Learning Code
Ladies Learning Code is an organization with locations across Canada, including a Vancouver branch. Their mission is to "be the leading resource for women and youth to become passionate builders - not just consumers - of technology by learning technical skills in a hands-on, social, and collaborative way." You can support them at their website here (you need to scroll down the page a bit to get to the donation button). 

World Federation of Science Journalists
Both journalism and science are currently under attack in the United States, and it's becoming increasingly important to show that we support the right of scientists to conduct research and publish their work. The World Federation of Science Journalists nurtures science journalists and science journalism through education, projects, conferences, and more; it also works to safeguard the rights and livelihoods of science journalists globally. You can donate to the WFSJ here. 

4) Be Informed and Be Vigilant

Now is not the time to pat ourselves on the back and go back to daily life - we need to be more vigilant than ever about defending women's rights and human rights worldwide. Keep up with news organizations and journalists that you trust so that you know where the biggest needs are. Show up to the next Black Lives Matter protest, or to the Scientists' March on Washington (which should be announcing dates soon!). Volunteer your time at a local organization. Set up a monthly donation to a charity you're passionate about. There are so many ways to be involved, and we need to be involved, now more than ever.

5) Don't Forget to Take Breaks

Being involved is important, but so are you. Make sure to take time and do something that you enjoy every day, like going for a walk, listening to your favourite music, or spending time with family and friends. If current events are stressing you out, then take a step back. It's okay to not be firing on all cylinders all the time - that's not how humans were designed to work! Self-care is, and always will be, an important part of activism. 

Our post-election blog post, Progress, Hope, and the Next Four Years, ended this way: "Tomorrow, we will wake up and choose to be kind to each other. We will rally against injustice and be louder than destruction. Our community will break bars and shatter glass ceilings. We will create change. No matter what negative voices ring out, we will be here, tomorrow and the tomorrow after that and the tomorrow after that."

The Women's March was a great start, but we're not done yet. It's time for tomorrow and the tomorrow after that and the tomorrow after that. 

Let's get to work. 

Much of this post was based off of Jenny Zhang's "An amateur's guide to activism for frustrated Canadians" - if you want a more in-depth look at any of the topics covered here, check it out! Know of any other charities that should be added to the list we've provided? Get in touch on Facebook or Twitter and let us know.