Beanie organiser Ruth Edwards said the idea came to her after the Women’s March on Washington where hundreds of thousands of people wore the pink beanies.

“The march is about supporting the right to feel safe at night, and the underlying reason for the pink knitted or crocheted beanies was about going back to traditional women’s skills,” she said.

Pussycat beanies originated in the USA at the Women’s March on Washington held in January the “Pussyhat Project” founders wanted to see a sea of knitted, crocheted, or sewn caps to make a visual statement on the streets. 

The founders didn't just ask women to go buy a pink hat and send it in as they wanted to celebrate knitting, sewing and crochet precisely because they're traditionally women's crafts and ‘skills passed from generation to generation’.

So far the public response have been phenomenal with a call to arms in September gaining support all over the Hastings, with over 70 handmade beanies being created.

“Its the visual aspect without pushing a political agenda, and that is the important thing,” she said.

Reclaim the Night is an Australian national march which promotes respect for women and highlights the need for women to feel safe on the streets of their town at any time. 

For the Port Macquarie march, the pussycat beanies will be offered to the participants for a gold coin donation and all proceeds will be provided to the Port Macquarie Hastings Domestic and Family Violence Specialist Service.

The Port Macquarie-Hastings Reclaim the Night March is on October 26, at 6.30pm from the Glasshouse on Clarence Street.