The success from the women’s march has led to more women coming together and joining as one to continue to make progress on equal rights and privileges. On International Women’s Day, women across the country protested by not going to work or shopping at big businesses to show their importance for the economy. By having this event on March 8, International Women’s day, women around the world were able to come together the same way they did for the women’s march in Jan.
In the past, International Women’s day celebrated women and commemorated their social, cultural and economic achievements throughout history. Since the early 1900s the day has been acknowledged and fought for, by women who struggled for equality. This year, with the world significantly changing, women around the country are standing up now, more than ever before, to fight for their equal rights including income equality, control of their own bodies, and health care.
According to the official ADWW website, people were asked to recognize the, “enormous value that women of all backgrounds add to our socio-economic system– while receiving lower wages and experiencing greater inequities, vulnerability to discrimination, sexual harassment, and jobs of insecurity,” They are not only fighting for women, but for gender equality and the protection of human rights.
Inspired by the success of A Day Without Immigrants, the idea behind women protesting was to show just how impactful women are in this country and the strength they have. Women were encouraged to refrain from work to show the significance they hold in the workplace, abstain from shopping online or in stores and asked to use the hashtag #GrabYourWallet for a list of stores to not support throughout the entire year, based on the current administration’s endorsement of them. Wearing red was also recommended because it signifies love and sacrifice. Men were given the chance to do the care giving for the day to show the need for equal pay and fair paid family leave.
ADWW was put together by the same women who organized the very successful women’s march.
With protests throughout the country, women have been taking their stand on the important roles they play throughout their community, as well as their country. According to the 2015 census, women make up half of the workforce, but are paid on average 80 cents for every dollar that a man earns; creating a 20 percent pay wage gap.
In the District of Columbia, a march for ADWW was attended by hundred through the capital that blocked the streets around the capital as women protested. Some were there just stopping by on their lunch break, and others were there from start to end fighting for all of women’s rights. According to the New York Times, Wajiha Rais, a 25-year-old lawyer, in New York, commented, “It feels like the country has regressed quite a bit with our new president. We need people to make room for us and our voices instead of speaking for us,” As women marched through the capital, this was an opinion that was shared by many.
With women across the country taking off work to show their significance in the workplace and many women as teachers, schools across the country closed as a result of ADWW. With schools closed for the day, many parents were forced to take off work to watch their kids since they were unable to attend school.
Even though going on strike isn’t the only way for women to show support, it is a way for their voices to be heard and to show their determination for change to happen. ADWW will not be the last protest, strike, or rally to happen in the United States. Women are standing up to share their voices and prove their power and strength. To learn more about women’s protests happening in the future, visit www.womensmarch.com.
