Be Bold For Change – International Women’s Day 2017

International Women’s Day as a vehicle for change, is it possible?

March 8 is International Women’s Day, which is usually celebrated with an awareness campaign for women’s rights. But this year, activists are planning something a bit different – a womens general strike, to counter President Trump and make a big push for women’s equality.

The time is ripe for this, as a group of scholars stated in a recent Guardian article. The overwhelming success of the Women’s March on Washington, they said, proved that “millions of women in the United States are finally fed up not only with the blatant misogyny of the Trump’s administration, but also with decades of continuous attacks on women’s lives and bodies.”

The successful Women’s March organizers have declared March 8 “A Day Without a Woman,” alongside an International Women’s Strike taking place in more than 30 countries that day. They’re urging women to take the day off of work if they can, or to show support in other ways if they can’t.

Here are 2 ways you can support A DAY WITHOUT A WOMAN on social media today: 1. Share a photo of yourself with this caption: “A #DayWithoutAWoman is a day without me” 2. Let everyone know what inspires you to strike on March 8th using the hashtag #IStrikeFor . . . On March 8th, International Women’s Day, women and our allies will act together for equity, justice and the human rights of women, through a one-day demonstration of economic solidarity. For more info on A DAY WITHOUT A WOMAN, visit our website (link in bio): womensmarch.com/womensday

A post shared by Women’s March (@womensmarch) on Feb 27, 2017 at 1:30pm PST

What if the world truly stepped up to take bold action?

Will you #BeBoldForChange on International Women’s Day 2017 and beyond?

Each one of us – with women, men and non-binary people joining forces – can be a leader within our own spheres of influence by taking bold pragmatic action to accelerate gender parity. Through purposeful collaboration, we can help women advance and unleash the limitless potential offered to economies the world over.

We have urgent work to do. Are you ready to #BeBoldForChange this IWD 2017 and beyond?

In the spirit of women and their allies coming together for love and liberation, we offer A Day Without A Woman. We ask: do businesses support our communities, or do they drain our communities? Do they strive for gender equity or do they support the policies and leaders that perpetuate oppression? Do they align with a sustainable environment or do they profit off destruction and steal the futures of our children? We saw what happened when millions of us stood together in January, and now we know that our army of love greatly outnumbers the army of fear, greed and hatred. On March 8th, International Women’s Day, let’s unite again in our communities for A Day Without A Woman. Over the next few weeks we will be sharing more information on what actions on that day can look like for you. In the meantime, we are proud to support Strike4Democracy’s #F17 National Day of Action to Push Back Against Assaults on Democratic Principles. This Friday, February 17th, gather your friends, families, neighbors, and start brainstorming ideas for how you can enhance your community, stand up to this administration, integrate resistance and self-care into your daily routine, and how you will channel your efforts for good on March 8th. Remember: this is a marathon, not a sprint. #DayWithoutAWoman #WomensMarch

A post shared by Women’s March (@womensmarch) on Feb 14, 2017 at 11:15am PST

And yes, it’s happening internationally. In Ireland, women are striking March 8 to demand a referendum on the country’s abortion ban.

Here’s what you can do:

Women’s March organizers released some basic guidelines last week for “anyone, anywhere” who wants to participate in A Day Without a Woman:

1. Women take the day off, from paid and unpaid labor (if you can).

2. Avoid shopping for one day (with exceptions for small, women- and minority-owned businesses)

3. Wear RED in solidarity with A Day Without A Woman

Go on social media to show the sheer numbers of people who are wearing red or black that day. US organizers are urging women to wear red, symbolizing “revolutionary love and sacrifice” and the color’s ties to the labor movement. Organizers in other countries are stating that you should wear black – referencing October’s “Black Monday” protest in Poland, when Polish women went on strike, while wearing black, to protest abortion rights.

The idea behind this strike is that if we refuse to do all of our typical work for a day, we will force the world to notice how vital and under-appreciated the work we do truly is.

Women do more chores at home than men, women are more likely to take care of the children, and women usually take on jobs in the workplace that no one else will do. At the same time we get paid less or not at all.

Can you do it? Can you get behind this? Watch Angie’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram closely as we’ll be talking about this all week.