The Women's March on Washington has one bold message to share.

Reading about the Women’s March on Washington is enough to give you goosbumps.

More than 200,000 men and women are coming together for a peaceful protest near the Capitol Building in Washington DC on Saturday, the day after the inauguration of US President Elect Donald Trump. It’s a moment in history; something you would one day tell your grandchildren. I was there.

Here’s what you need to know about it:

The aim of the march

“To send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world that women’s rights are human rights,” the website reads.

“We stand together, recognising that defending the most marginalised among us is defending all of us.”

The participants

A diverse, very diverse, group of men and women speaking out for the marginalised corners of society. This includes women; the LGBTIQ community; immigrants; Muslims; people of all ethnicities; native people; people with disabilities; and survivors of sexual assault.

Importantly, the march is not for one sole cause and, within its ranks at least, it's surprisingly apolitical. Pro-life and pro-choice women will stand alongside each other, for example, all to send a message of equality.

“Intersectional feminism is the future of feminism and of this movement,” Bob Bland, one of the event’s co-chairs, told The Atlantic. “We must not just talk about feminism as one issue, like access to reproductive care.”

The message is about unity: "We call on all defenders of human rights to join us," the website reads. "We will not rest until women have parity and equity at all levels of leadership in society."

It started with a grandmother. A retired attorney living in Hawaii. She sent a message to her Facebook friends suggesting a protest against Trump's inauguration. Almost overnight, it went viral. Now, more than 150,000 people are registered to attend the event on Facebook; there is a website dedicated to the march; and there are 'pop up' marches throughout the US and Australia for those who can't be there to storm Capitol Hill but who want to show their support.

Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes Speech. Discuss. Post continues below.

There are lots of reasons why the Women's March on Washington is problematic. It's been called hypocritical. It's been dubbed 'too generalised'. It's been declared a waste of time and money.

These arguments are valid. How many marches do we see for the women and children dying in the Syrian civil war? How many marches, of hundreds and thousands of people, do we see for the child brides, or the girls suffering genital mutilation living in Australia? Caroline Overington made a poignant point when she wrote for The Australian;  "Dozens, maybe hundreds, maybe thousands of girls are suffering vile abuse, but it’s like screaming in an abyss. Where is the march? Where is the hashtag?"

Yes, it is also generalised. Many women are choosing to donate money to a particular charity, or volunteer with a specific organisation, instead of attending the Women's March on Sunday. They're looking for specific action.

But there is one, very important, reason for this march that trumps (see what I did there?) the arguments of dissent. Quite simply: symbolism.

The day a misogynistic and hateful man was elected the "leader of the free world", he became a symbol. The same man who has a history of sexism and racism; who made fun of a disabled reporter; who has spoken about "grabbing women by the pussy"; who asked "have you seen her?" when confronted with an allegation of sexual assault.

He is now - whether we like it or not - an example to young boys and girls who will watch his inauguration on Friday. He is a 'symbol' of success, achievement, leadership and pride - because those are the words we traditionally associate with the President of the United States of America.

The symbolism of Donald Trump beating Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton in the race to become president is, arguably, the most terrifying outcome of what was a long and disturbing campaign trail, and what is sure to be a long and disturbing presidency.

The Women's March on Washington is also a symbol. And sure the march itself might be hypocritical and too generalised. But the symbol of the march is much, much bigger than this.

Are you a nasty woman? Post continues below.

It's a symbol of hope and unity and strength in the face of something sickening.

It shows how women and men and children from all backgrounds, and of different sexualities - who might disagree on every issue from abortion to paternity leave - can stand together to fight for the right to equality.

It shows that hundreds of thousands of people are not prepared to accept the 'symbol' that is President Donald Trump - who once said his "greatest mistake" was sending his first wife to work; who calls Mexicans rapists and wants to build a wall to "keep them out"; who has been on the receiving end of countless allegations of sexual assault.

The people marching on Washington are looking to send a different message to young boys and girls watching the inauguration. Hope trumps feat. Love trumps hate. And peacefulness and unity are the only way forward in what is sure to be a heart-wrenching four years.