On Wednesday, thousands of women across the world rallied together for A Day Without Women, a strike designed to show the impact and importance of women in all different industries. The strike coincided with International Women’s Day, a celebration of “the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.” The global event has been commemorated since the early 1900’s, taking place on March 8th every year since 1914.
In downtown New York City, the rally in Washington Square Park drew girls both young and old, carrying signs and wearing pink pussy hats.
Women participated in different ways, from wearing red clothing, to taking the day off work, supporting local female-run businesses, and joining in local protests and marches.
The event combined festivity and activism, with speeches from Betty Lyons of the American Indian Law Alliance, Nour Obeidallah of the Sanctuary Campus Campaign, and Lamis Deek, a human rights attorney who represents Arab and Muslim communities.
Need more inspiration? Check out our #WomenWhoInspire collection featuring eight trailblazing women, from Amelia Earhart to Mae Jemison. This was originally published on Medium.