By Andre Grant
As a male writer at The New York Times so eloquently tried to discuss, a world without women is just not a world worth living in.
On January 21, women around the globe let their collective voices be heard through a series of demonstrations known as the Women’s March on Washington.
On all seven continents, women (and men supporting women) left their homes and places of business to shout from the literal rooftops that they will not stand idly by as President Trump spews hate through his speech, his tweets, and his executive actions.
But what’s next?
According to the organizers of the march, the group is ready for a second act. In its next round of rebellion, the organizers are proposing a “day without women.”
The will of the people will stand. pic.twitter.com/SKJCRLhRKn
— Women's March (@womensmarch) February 6, 2017
The Women’s March general strike will likely mirror other general strikes around the globe. Take, for example, the October 1975 protest in Iceland, in which 90 percent of the country’s women went on strike. Some banks, shops, nurseries, and factories had to close as women took to the streets. Many men had to take their children to work with them. The day became known as “the long Friday.” It was a huge wake-up call for the entire nation, helping to usher Vigdís Finnbogadóttir into office in November 1980 as the first female president in Europe’s history and the first democratically elected head of state in the world
In 2016, Icelandic women again took to the streets to protest the wage gap. The women chose to walk out at exactly 2:38 p.m.—at which time (thanks to the wage gap), they were technically working for free. Again, businesses had to close, and the country was forced to face the consequences of their slow progress on the question of equal pay. It has been over 60 years since Iceland declared discrimination on the basis of gender illegal. Despite that, some estimates place the elimination of the gender gap at some 50 years away. Gylfi Arnbjörnsson, president of the Icelandic Confederation of Labour knows that’s much too long. Speaking to the nation’s national broadcaster, RUV, Arnbjörnsson had this to say:
“No one puts up with waiting 50 years to reach a goal. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a gender pay gap or any other pay gap. It’s just unacceptable to say we’ll correct this in 50 years. That’s a lifetime.”
Details are still coming in about how, where, and to what extent this march will take place. To stay updated with details of a “Day Without a Woman” protest follow the Women’s March on Twitter.