On March 8th, also International Women’s Day, women across the world participated in “A Day Without a Woman.” According to the organizers of the Women’s March on Washington, this day was meant for “women and our allies will act together for equity, justice, and the human rights of women and all gender-oppressed people, through a one-day demonstration of economic solidarity.”
Women who didn't strike were encouraged to wear red. Participants were told to avoid shopping, except for small businesses owned by women or minorities. The goal of this movement was rooted in recognizing women of all backgrounds in the areas of lowers wages, discrimination, sexual harassment, and job insecurity.
I am one of the millions of women who resisted. Striking from the workplace and society won’t advance women.
If these participants in the march were truly concerned about being behind in the workplace, they should focus on other actions that would immediately make them more productive women. Marchers could be mentoring the younger female generation, whether it’s giving career advice or talking about interests in their line of work. Women can ask to meet with their boss, to take on more responsibility, more leadership, and in turn earn more money. Hours are a certain factor in pay decisions. Even working an extra 30 minutes, according to the 2015 American Time Use Survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, would certainty change a woman’s pay rate.
Even so, if unnerved and dissatisfied women are sick and tired that they as much as walk out on a school, they should think about how their participation in the strike will impact the next generation of women. “A Day Without A Woman” hurts other women, who are willing to learn and become empowered through education. It also hurts other women by forcing those who cannot afford to skip a day at work, however, their child’s teachers are out there protesting so they have to stay home.
The negative impact arose even before the day of the march. A school in North Carolina—Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools—has had to cancel class in anticipation of their teachers not coming into work . They believe that as 75 percent of their employees are women, there will not be enough people to successfully and safely run their schools. Instead, it will be an optional teacher’s work day. The education of students is being put aside to accommodate the movement, a movement that shows society what they already know- women are, in fact, essential to the world.
While strike was aimed at betterment of all women, it is more accurately deemed hurtful to a majority of them, not to mention those who are “not welcomed” at events such as these.
Women and men should have equal rights and opportunities, as any rational person would agree. While I do believe that they should be equal, this should not come at the cost of men. If women want true equality, it is up to their individual selves to rise up and work equally hard, instead of putting the other half of society below them.
While organized to benefit all women, “A Day Without A Woman” does nothing more to empower women, nor does it promote the equality that these marchers strive for. So I don’t feel bad about not participating.
