{"id":3820,"date":"2015-06-09T13:50:00","date_gmt":"2015-06-09T11:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kvinfo.dk.linux150.unoeuro-server.com\/today-we-stand-together\/"},"modified":"2015-06-09T13:50:00","modified_gmt":"2015-06-09T11:50:00","slug":"today-we-stand-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.kvinfo.dk\/old\/today-we-stand-together\/?lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Today, We Stand Together"},"content":{"rendered":"\"\"\n

Sunshine and Suffragettes<\/h2>\n

It is half past nine and there are suffragettes on the train. I am thinking that it must be hot \u2013 wearing long black (and white) dresses on a day where the sun is already scorching. This train of thought is quickly replaced by respect, however. How cool is it for these women to have made such an effort on this day. I ask if I may take a photograph, they smile replying: \u201cYes, of course!\u201d. We chat for a while before getting off the train at \u00d8sterport Station. They are not the only women turned out in convincing and lovely outfits today \u2013 and there are plenty of other friendly and talkative people about too.
\nToday, I witness a huge sense of community I did not even know existed. Walking down towards Gr\u00f8nningen, the street facing the Citadel, we are joined by women and men of all ages who are all taking part in the Constitution Day Procession. Many people are dressed in historical costumes, most people are dressed in white. It is as if the weather has been so awful this year in order for the sun to shine so much stronger today. I imagine the reverberations from 1915: Then 23-year-old Nanna wrote about the procession, calling the sunny weather \u201ca good omen\u201d.
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\nThere is something in the air while we are waiting for the procession to kick off. Political buttons are sold, people are chatting and laughing. There is a pronounced sense of community: We are all gathered here to celebrate the centennial, celebrating together. I am speaking to a woman who has brought her daughter along \u2013 they are both dressed in white, ready to lead the procession today with the Danish Society for Women. Today, it is incredibly easy to chat to other people. In Copenhagen, I am accustomed to everybody wearing headphones, staring into the ground, keeping to themselves.
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Take a Stand for Equality!<\/h2>\n

The procession kicks off, the beautiful contingent from the Danish Women\u2019s Society at the very front, all dressed in white dresses and scarlet ribbons, just like in 1915. Everybody is delighted, save for a single driver who is trapped by the pedestrian traffic, unable to edge his car past us. We all ignore him.
\nCopenhagen has never been a more beautiful sight than today, as we are walking in town, sharing the solemnity and community of the occasion. During the past few weeks, I have taken the female candidates on numerous election posters for granted. Today, I double check. There is Samira Nawa, Sisse Marie Welling, and Josefine Kofoed. Ida Auken is everywhere. And over there, it is the Prime Minister \u2013 Denmark\u2019s first female Prime Minister.
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\nThe large groups such as KVINFO and the Women\u2019s Council are here. As is a tremendous number of other groups. There are banners from LGBT-groups, The Neighbourhood Mothers, labour movement networks promoting racial equality, and many others groups. Politicians from all parties are present: those the Socialist People\u2019s Party, the Alternative, the Red-Green Alliance, and the Social Liberal Party are most easily spotted in the crowds. We are all present: All kinds of women \u2013 and quite a few men \u2013 cheer on as the procession glides past. Everybody is smiling. It is a festive occasion.
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\nOf course everything is not quite perfect just yet. We encounter a banner from the Women\u2019s House. It says: \u201cWe Didn\u2019t Receive the Vote \u2013 We Seized It!\u201d, reminding us all of the 30-year struggle to include women in representative democracy. \u201cNo Feminism without Antiracism!\u201d, it says on another banner. The women carrying the banner are dancing and singing. I am thinking, we need to keep this in mind: It is impossible to separate one struggle from another. We are fighting for women from all cultures and religions. Gender inequality is intrinsically connected with many other forms of inequality. A fact, which is easily forgotten on a festive day such as today. <\/p>\n

Carnival<\/h2>\n

As we reach the Grand Square in front of Parliament, the procession assumes a certain solemnity. The flags of Parliament are blowing in the wind set against the blue sky. As we approach the Grand Square, we hear music, louder and louder. There is a sombre mood adding to the solemnity of the occasion. The women at the head of the procession walk slowly, in unison, in their white dresses. I shiver.
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\nI overhear tourists talking about the procession. \u201cWhat is this? A Carnival?\u201d, they ask one another. I am laughing, while wishing they understood the meaning of the procession. I wish everybody knew the meaning of these past 100 years \u2013 and that it has been a worthwhile struggle. And that the struggle is not yet complete.<\/p>\n

A Festive Occasion for Democracy<\/h2>\n

We file past the Grand Square, entering Parliament Square. As I throw myself into the crowd, I am stuck with an eternal problem of mine: That I am still as short as my 12-year old self. It is OK: The woman standing in front of me explains who is up on the stage.<\/p>\n

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