Women's March outside Parliament buildings, Wellington, featuring 'Though she be but little, she is fierce' placard

This digital photograph shows a small girl amongst a crowd of protestors near the Cenotaph outside Parliament, Wellington, during the Women's March on Washington on 21 January 2017. Her placard features a line from Shakespeare's play A Midsummer's Night Dream, spoken by the character Helena: 'Though she be but little, she is fierce'.

The photographer, Amy Pearl, captured the perfect moment, combining a yelling child with the placard’s message that no-one, regardless of gender or stature, should be underestimated in the fight for rights. However, such a young child may not have understood the full import of the Women's March, and the sign she was carrying.

The image was posted on The Weaving House Facebook site with the hashtag #whyIMarch. The Weaving House is a charitable trust focused on women's empowerment and gender equality. The Women's March on Washington organisers used the hashtags #WomensMarch, #WhyIMarch and #IMarchFor to identify and bring together messages and stories about the marches on social media, especially Twitter.

The Women's March was a global phenomenon which took place on the same day throughout the world featuring a broad coalition of nearly five million participants in over 600 Sister Marches in 60 countries on all seven continents. It was timed to protest the inauguration of the new United States president Donald Trump on 20 January 2017, and was intended to send a message to his administration on its first day in office that women's rights are human rights. The Washington march is now estimated to be the largest political demonstration in American history.

Social media had enabled the idea to sweep rapidly across America and around the world. The original ethos of the Sister Marches was one of solidarity with America, but shifted to a global perspective, with many marchers concerned not only by Trump's misogynistic attitudes but his effect on global politics; rising far-right populism around the world; and local concerns over citizens' rights.

Sister Marches took place across New Zealand with the largest marches in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Their mission was to 'stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families - recognising that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country' (Women's March on Washington Aotearoa New Zealand Facebook).

Placard power

Placards play a significant role in protest movements, demonstrations, and in the accompanying visual record. They can inspire creativity and collaboration in their making; they can take courage to carry; they add performative drama to demonstrations; they attract the notice of media and work closely in relationship to how cameras are positioned. The Women’s March placards were largely handmade and were notable for their strong messages and sense of humour. Humour, satire and parody were effective ways for protestors to deal with serious subjects, and helped keep protest spaces safe and non-threatening.

Collecting this image demonstrates the zeitgeist of this particular moment, but it also speaks to ongoing concerns about feminism and human rights. Organising committees both here and overseas are now striving to build on the success of the Women's Marches to make it a sustainable global movement. Future actions include the lobbying of elected officials.