A Day Without Women

press release: In Madison, organizers are calling on women and supporters of women’s rights to participate in a day of action, including a lunch hour walkout on Wednesday, March 8, which is International Women’s Day. Groups are holding a noon rally at Capitol Square for A Day Without a Woman.   

Women and girls of all ages from around the state will be participating in the day of action to mark International Women’s Day, which is returning to its labor roots this year following international calls for a “general strike” in response to the ongoing epidemic of gender violence and assaults on women’s rights around the world.

Organizers with Thrive United have an educational morning planned for girls between 5 and 10 years old, including a capitol tour and meet and greet with female legislators and Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Shirley Abrahamson before the noon rally.

“If we believe in women’s equality and if we want to advance that goal in our world, we must raise our girls to speak up and be active in the processes of change,” says Sarah Keyeski of Thrive United.  

East High School Students have organized a walkout and march to the capitol, where they will be joined by UW students marching from campus. After the noon rally, an organizer with Women’s March: We March Forward will lead participants into the capitol to meet with legislators about issues impacting women’s lives, like pay equity, healthcare, sexual harassment in the workplace, and women’s representation in STEM fields.

“Women in Wisconsin are crucial to the state’s economy yet we are consistently disrespected and undervalued.” said Sarah, an organizer with the Women’s March. “We expect a reinstatement of Wisconsin’s Equal Pay Enforcement Act and passage of the Healthy Babies, Working Mothers Act as well as other protections for women in the workplace.”

People who want to participate should plan to wear red. While the day of action calls on women to stay out of work on March 8th, local organizers hope that a lunch hour walkout will be feasible for those who are unable to strike. Attendees should plan to be at the State Street corner of Capitol Square at noon to welcome marching high school and UW students as they arrive. More information can be found on Facebook.

The noon rally is being organized by a coalition of groups including Women’s March: We March Forward, the International Socialist Organization, Socialist Alternative, the Madison chapter of the National Organization for Women, Student Coalition for Progress, and students from UW Madison and East High School.