. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .
Compiled by CPNN from various media as indicated
In the United States, millions of women took part in a “Day without a woman” to mark International Women’s Day, March 8. It was organized by means of social media in the same way as the women’s demonstrations January 21 in which over 2 million protested the policies of the newly inaugurated President Trump.
Members of Congress, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., walk down the steps of the U.S. Capitol to observe “A Day Without a Woman” on Wednesday. Speakers discussed the importance of female workers to the economy and renewed a commitment to women’s equality and rights. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo
Here’s how it was portrayed on the website of the January women’s marches: “In the same spirit of love and liberation that inspired the Women’s March, we join together in making March 8th A Day Without a Woman, recognizing 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 job insecurity. We recognize that trans and gender nonconforming people face heightened levels of discrimination, social oppression and political targeting. We believe in gender justice. Anyone, anywhere, can join by making March 8th A Day Without a Woman, in one or all of the following ways:
* Women take the day off, from paid and unpaid labor
* Avoid shopping for one day (with exceptions for small, women- and minority-owned businesses).
* Wear RED in solidarity with A Day Without A Woman”
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We have not found any way to measure how many women stayed away from work or to what extent their refusal to shop led to decreased sales, but there were many descriptions of the day in the mass media.
It was reported by United Press International that “schools in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Alexandria, Va., closed for the day because so many teachers opted to stay home. In Rhode Island, a municipal court was forced to close because several clerks and an administrator took the day off.” They also carried the above photo of Congress members leaving the capitol to mark the event.
The website Deadline described actions at a number of media networks, including NBC, Netflix, A&E, Fusion TV and MTV, with the latter turning the “M” upside down on its logo to read “W”.
The website Hollywood Reporter described special editions and other actions by women’s publications, including Teen Vogue, Glamour, Jezebel, Who What Wear, Elle, The Cut (New York Magazine) and Marie Claire.
Adweek described how the following advertising agencies marked the day: 360i, Brand Union, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, Huge, Ogilvy, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Heat, David&Goliath, Zambezi, ustwo, Eleven and SS+K.
The website Eater described actions at many restaurants, including some that closed completely to mark the day. They compared the results to those of the Day without immigrants on February 16 in which many immigrants stayed away from work in order to show their crucial importance for the American economy.
Several sources collected excerpts from social media to show how women throughout the country took part in actions to mark the day. These included the Huffington Post, Vocativ, Daily Caller, and Mother Jones . Gossipcop , Elle, and Indie Wire feaureed social media messages by celebrities.