Let’s hit Trump where it hurts – in the money. On February 7th a simple and bold picture was posted on Instagram stating “General Strike: A Day Without a Woman” by the 2017 Women’s March organizers: Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour, and Bob Bland. The date yet to be determined but the message is clear: for one day women around the nation are to leave the workplace to show just how instrumental they are in the American labor activity. This type of protest, whether against the wage gap women around the world still experience, or a regimen which consistently undermines and degrades women in the workplace, is a classic but powerful move.
This is not the first time such an idea is brought to the table. In 1975, nearly 90% of Iceland’s female population took the day off of all responsibility to protest the wage gap, and fight for basic gender equality. A year later the Gender Equality council was formed and though there is still work much to do, Iceland is now considered one of the most forward thinking countries regarding gender equality. In 2016, Polish women protested a proposed legislative ban on abortion in a similar fashion by not going to work. Instead, they protested the new bill by marching which brought together 98,000 Polish women. The ban was voted down in the days following the protest.
Though America has never topped the charts on Equality, the recent protests sparked by the inauguration of our 45th President have been record breaking.
On March 14th a second post was made relating to the Strike, announcing the Day Without a Woman would take place on March 8th, International Women’s Day. Following the announcement the organizer’s noted;
“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?”
The challenge is clear and voices are still rising. The numbers of the Women’s March were astounding, registering at nearly 4.8 million. However, America’s newly sworn in government denies the importance of this history making march. After all, what we can most likely expect in terms of reactions to this walkout will be anything less than idiotic tweets from our new head in chief. As a women, a feminist, and a protester, I hope A Day Without a Woman resounds across the American streets.
Throughout his campaign and his first weeks in office, President Trump continues to describe himself as a business-man, and a supposedly genius one at that. A genius business man can deny numbers when they don’t directly affect him, but as the nation will feel the loss of some of its hardest workers, perhaps Trump will finally take notice when perceived profit drains from his fingers.