Did anyone happen to notice a few or all of their female coworkers missing from the office on Wednesday? March 8, 2017, marked International Women's Day, a twenty-four hour period where women around the globe interlocked forces to peacefully fight for a more gender equal world.

One of my male coworkers enlightened me about the Women's March on Washington, which called for all females to take the day off of work to paint a picture of what a day without women in the workforce looks like. While I consider myself a feminist and will always support my fellow females, I found myself at work on Wednesday. Maybe the main reason I didn't call out of work is because I fall into the "Broke College Student" category, but there was something else that made me show up. With my presence being absent, and the presence of my female manager, the bank that I work for would not have even been properly functioning, or even open for the business day. With that in mind, it should no longer be a question if men and women should receive equal pay when certain businesses would not even be able to operate without us. Another interesting point is that a male coworker was the one to inform me that I should not attend work for the day. It's nice to know that this isn't a civil war between the sexes, it's just the simple issue of all coming together to close the wage gap. Although not every woman was able to stay home from work, such as myself, I feel we also did our part by showing up and proving all that we do day in and day out.

According to the Institute for Women's Policy Researcher, women, on average, earn less than men in nearly every single occupation. Only a few short months ago, the United States watched a woman feverishly fight for the presidency, yet men and women still do not earn the same paycheck for the same job. It is important to continue these marches because while us women of America fight for equal pay, women in other parts of the world still fight for their basic freedom and education rights. As a woman, it's easy to feel discouraged by these facts, but I would like to tell every female out there, regardless of age or race, to go out there and be a nurse, teacher, firefighter, surgeon, or join the army. Become the person that you have always wanted to be, just never be held back.