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Laurie and Debbie say:
Today is International Women’s Day. This commemoration started more or less simultaneously in the U.S. and Europe in the early part of the 20th century. Valentina Zarya, writing at Forbes, tells us:
the first time it was observed was back in Feb. 28, 1908. About 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay, and the right to vote. On the same day the following year, women staged another demonstration — this time with the blessing of the Socialist Party of America. They continued to do this on the last Sunday of February each year until 1913.
Since European women were staging their own demonstrations at different times throughout this same period, a consensus was reached in 1913 to observe IWD on March 8. It’s the day women around the world have observed ever since.
Why March 8 specifically? The chosen date commemorates the women’s march in Petrograd, Russia, that sparked the Russian Revolution in 1917. Yes, that’s worth re-stating: Women’s demands for equality sparked one of the most significant events in modern European history.
In the United States in recent years, IWD has been a small-scale event, with small demonstrations organized by feminist activists. This year is a different story in the United States, and in 30-50 countries around the world.
According to the BBC, in the United States, about a dozen US congresswomen walked out of work, and schools in some districts had to close for lack of staff. Women throughout Ireland went on strike, protesting Irish abortion laws. Polish women at marches and rallies called for equal rights, respect, and protection against violence. Sweden’s women’s football team posted tweets from Swedish women who fight to make headway in male-dominated fields of work on the back of their jerseys.
Government response included a commitment by Iceland to make employers prove they provide equal pay, and a EU150,000 Gender Equality Prize announced by the government of Finland.
At home in Debbie’s city (Oakland, California) about 700 people gathered in front of City Hall for songs, dance, speeches, and a march around the downtown area. Debbie was there, protesting and taking these pictures.
Emily Crockett at Vox provides some very useful context:
It’s not clear how successful the women’s strike will be — especially in the United States, where the labor movement has become relatively weak and where “general strikes” are a difficult tactic to pull off.
The idea behind a women’s general strike is that if women refuse to do all of their typical work for a day, it will force people to notice how important and under-appreciated that work is.
The “International Women’s Strike” might still end up working more like a protest or a boycott than a bona fide general strike, Elisabeth Clemens, professor of sociology at the University of Chicago, told Vox. But it can still be a very effective way to draw attention and energy to women’s rights.
“The name does project a sense of global solidarity, and that’s a really powerful move,” Clemens said.
Sometimes, if it’s clear that a large number of people share your grievances — that if you show up to a protest, you won’t be alone and thousands of others will join you — it can create a virtuous cycle that attracts more and more new activists who are fired up for women’s rights.
Like the big women’s march in January, the feeling at the Oakland event was determined, activated, and forward-looking. At least where Debbie was, people know that this is a long fight, that it’s everyone’s fight, and that it’s a fight for our lives. Next year, we predict that the International Women’s Day actions around the world, and in the U.S., will have an even bigger impact. After all, we have a 1917 precedent to live up to!