On Sunday, they joined around 500 people who gathered in support of women's rights as part of an international day of action.

Betsy, who has been going to protests and rallies since the '90s, lives mostly in England, but she travels the world attending marches and rallies for the causes she believes in.

She's been coming to Australia every year for the last six years and always times her trips to make sure she can attend a feminist or LGBTQI protest when she's here.

"It's incredibly important to stand up," she said. "We've been kept down for so long but we've got a voice now and it feels good to be here and be part of that voice."

Christine had never attended a protest march before last year. She came to the 2017 Women's March to protest Donald Trump's election.

"I don't like how Trump treats women. And the way he speaks about them. It disgusts me. I had to do something to support the women in America who have to live with him as their president. And I'll keep coming every year until he's gone."

Before today Catherine and her two daughters, Amy and Lexi, had been to one other women's rally together.

"We went to the Women Against Violence rally in Castlemaine a couple of years ago. It was fun," 10-year-old Lexi said. "All the women had candles and lit them from each other. It was really nice."

Her 12-year old sister, Amy, also said she liked going to rallies.

"Men and women should be equal. It doesn't make sense that they're not, there's no reason for it."

Catherine says the reason she brings her daughters to women's events is because she wants them to have a vision of how powerful women and girls can be.

"I want to give them the tools to make the world a better place, to be part of the change we really need to see in the world."

The women speaking to the Age asked for their surnames to not be included in this story.

Guardian writer Van Badham hosted the rally, with speeches from disability activist, writer and speaker Carly Findlay, climate change advocate and city coordinator for climate change rally 350 Pacific Jacynta Fuamatu, transgender activist Melissa Griffiths, and Melbourne feminist Jessamy Gleeson.

The speeches highlighted the need to include all women in women's activism. Transgender women, women with disabilities, Aboriginal women and sex workers were identified as being particularly at risk of violence and being ignored. All the speakers warned against the dangers of not being inclusive.

Ms Gleeson said it was amazing to see so many women come to the rally on such a humid day. "It proves that this isn't going away. None of us are going away."