#DayWithoutAWoman

You may have heard many different things about what is happening tomorrow, March 8th. For one, it is International Women’s Day, “a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.” This day traces its roots back to 1908 when a group of around 15,000 women marched though the streets of New York to demand voting rights, better pay, and shorter hours. Since then it has grown into a world world celebration and call to action. International Women’s Day is driven by ten key values paramount to its cause:

The Women's Rally Central Florida, Lake Eola, 01.21.17

• Justice

• Dignity

• Hope

• Equality

• Collaboration

• Tenacity

• Appreciation

• Respect

• Empathy

• Forgiveness

You can learn a bit more about the integration of these key values into the movement on their official website at https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Values.

In addition to International Women’s Day the organizers of the Women’s March on Washington from this past January have been working to organize “A Day Without A Woman” as a way to bring attention to the struggles women still face in modern society. They are calling on women everywhere to participate in the following ways:

Take the day off from doing paid or unpaid labor

Avoid shopping for the day, or if this cannot be avoided try to direct your purchases to small, women-, and minority owned businesses

Wear the color red in solidarity with the cause

A Day Without A Woman aims to bring attention to the enormous contributions that women make every single day- to their families, their workplaces, and their communities. We do so much but still face disparity in regard to wages, medical care, domestic violence, and even something as simple as respect. For many minorities these problems are even worse. How many times have you seen the statistic that women make around 78-82% of what men do? In 2013 the American Association of University Women published their findings that up against white, non-Hispanic men African American women made only 64%, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander women made 65%, American Indian/Alaskan Native women made 59%, and Hispanic/Latinx women made 54% in comparison. And this doesn't even take into account the disparity in educational opportunities or other discriminating factors.

One of the biggest oppositions I’ve come across to the Day Without A Woman is from those who point out the privilege inherent in being able to protest, in particular to strike. For many women strike is not within their means, an unfortunate but important thing to note. I myself will not be able to participate without risk of losing my job, although you can bet your booty if all of the women in my office decided to not show up tomorrow the bosses would definitely notice. We are an integral part of what makes the business work and without us they wouldn’t be able to make it through an entire day. But we’re paid hourly. We have families. We have bills and obligations, and because we live in a right to work state there are very few laws protecting us from backlash if we chose to strike. 

I understand that there are many out there who don’t think things are that bad nowadays or who believe movements like the Day Without A Woman and the Women’s March are simply stirring up trouble without actually making a positive impact, but if I have learned anything from observing the women in my life who have been drawn to activism by the current political climate it is that you have to be the one to make things positive. It’s too easy to become bitter and angry on either side, something I’m sure most of us have been guilty of at one point or another. You have to take that anger, and instead of attacking each other with it, funnel that energy into making a difference. If a strike isn’t something you can get behind, then maybe write a letter to your representatives. Let them know you exist and that you demand change. Volunteer an hour or two or your time to help someone in need. Donate to a local shelter. Sponsor a supply drive. Sign a petition. Share an uplifting message in your social media feeds. Take a few moments in your day to let the women in your life know that they are important, and remind yourself too because I know all too well that it’s an easy thing to forget.

You don’t have to agree with everything the Day Without A Woman stands for, but please respect that the women who choose to be involved are doing so to try to make our lives a little better. If you are the type of person who doesn’t like to bring politics into everything then be grateful your life isn’t one affected by the policies, but don’t forget that is not true for everyone else. Because whether you are white, black, hispanic, latinx, asian, middle eastern, native american, pacific islander, or any other mix of nationalities. Whether you are gay, straight, bisexual, pansexual, asexual. Whether you are cisgender, transgender, or gender non binary. Whether you are fortunate enough to not worry about if your bills are getting paid or if you struggle every day with the basic necessities. Whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, or any other political party. Remember we all have more in common with each other than we would sometimes like to admit, and until we stop tearing each other down we can’t begin to build a better tomorrow for ourselves and for generations to come.

If you would like to know more about the Day Without A Woman and how you can participate, please visit https://www.womensmarch.com/womensday or check out https://www.bustle.com/p/how-to-spend-the-day-without-a-woman-strike-if-you-cant-take-the-day-off-41250 for some great ideas on ways to engage if you are one of the many who cannot strike. 

“I raise up my voice—not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard...we cannot succeed when half of us are held back." ―Malala Yousafzai