The San Francisco Women’s March organization will be holding a Day Without a Woman rally on Wednesday at San Francisco City Hall from 11 a.m. to noon, where the group will then march to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters on Sansome Street.
The organization is holding the rally highlight the economic value women of all ethnicities add to our socio-economic system, despite the fact that women are more likely to be vulnerable to discrimination, sexual harassment and job insecurity.
The Bay Area Women’s March organization demonstration aims to express economic solidarity through women choosing to not go to work – that is, if they have the opportunity.
The rally will feature speakers, artists and all women who have faced economic injustice and want to offer their ideas on how women can fight back. The organization is offering help for all women, but specifically to women who have been marginalized and silenced.
The Women’s March Organization is aware that some participants have financial obligations to attend work and cannot afford to miss a day and have suggested other ways women can participate. This includes only shopping at woman and minority-owned businesses, wearing red in solidarity and observing a 15-minute moment of silence with those across California at noon.
Martha Shaughnessy, Women’s March communications director, believes that standing up together as women and being engaged will help everyone imagine a day without a woman.
“We hope to continue to show up as an organization that stands for inclusion and justice, that helps people forge connections and find strength and that shows that when women work together and organize, humanity benefits,” Shaughnessy said via email.
“Women are often called out as the key demographic for marketers, while also being paid less than our male counterparts,” she said. “We are outperforming men at most levels of academia, but are hired less frequently, promoted less quickly and paid less than they are — with the percentages waning dramatically at women of color or queer women.”
Carol Amaya, SF State hospitality and tourism management lecturer, like many other women are not able to take the day off due to certain circumstances.
“While I truly appreciate the cause and wish I could, I cannot cancel classes Wednesday because of my responsibilities,” Amaya said.
Amaya is working to prepare her students to attend a career fair on Thursday morning. By cancelling class, her students will most likely suffer.
“I have 49 students who will be attending a career fair, some for the very first time,” Amaya said. “As such my GWAR classes Wednesday are dedicated in preparation of this big event.” Amaya is reviewing student resumes and helping them to be ready for the interview process.
According to Business Insider, women make up the majority of what economists call “pink-collared jobs,” which include occupations in nursing, waitressing, social work, human resource management and counseling. According to the same article, nine out of 10 registered nurses are female.
The organization wants “the day without women,” to show that fellow women should be allies and work together on this day to show equality, justice and human rights.
“We’re hoping that all people learn to see women’s issue as human injustice issues,” Shaughnessy said. “That our health, wellbeing, equal pay, access to education, business opportunity and more are topics that dramatically impact the human experience – for everyone.”
Barbara Wyeth • Mar 9, 2017 at 12:21 pm
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