Five women’s marches throughout history that triggered political change

On New Year’s Day, Indian women stood shoulder to shoulder in a human chain stretching more than 300 miles to show their support for gender equality.

The Kerala State government organized the protest, along with more than 170 political and social organizations, to affirm women’s rights and demand social reform following violent riots over women’s attempts to enter Sabarimala temple, which was closed to women of childbearing age for centuries before India’s Supreme Court overturned the ban in September.

As many as 5 million women participated, making the “women’s wall” one of the largest demonstrations for women’s rights in history. Will this mass protest by millions of Indian women make a difference? If the past is prologue, chances are high — throughout history, women’s movements around the world have translated mass collective action into political, social and economic change.

Here are five transformational women’s marches that have altered history.