One of only highlights of the Trump administration so far – if you don’t count his unintentionally hilarious Twitter feed – was the Women’s March which flooded streets the day after the inauguration in January, drawing an estimated 5 million protesters globally.
Now the women behind it have come up with a new, and potentially more devastating blow to both Donald Trump’s anti-women, anti-progressive agenda and the suppression of women’s rights more broadly: a general strike for women, on a day to be confirmed.
Dubbed “A Day Without A Woman” the aim would be to highlight women’s power, and demonstrate that the world grinds to a halt without our participation.
It’s not the first time women have gone on strike, sometimes with stunning success. In October last year hundreds of thousands of women in Poland took to the streets to protest a proposed abortion ban. Days later the Polish parliament voted overwhelmingly to strike down the ban.
At the same time women in Argentina took to the streets to protest a series of violent rapes and murders of young Argentinian women at the hands of husbands, boyfriends or other males known to them.
There is one other fantastic thing about Donald Trump. He desperately needs to be liked. These protests get under his skin in a major way, demonstrated by his bluster and tantrums every time one happens. A story by the New York Times today has sources saying he has begun instructing his administration to operate more ‘conventional’ way, as his popularity continues to slide.
So participation is not just symbolic, or feel-good. It makes change.
When the strike date is announced – rumours are suggesting International Women’s Day on March 8 could be the day – down tools. Stand up. Strike. This is history.
You can sign up for updates on the Women’s Strike here. See you on the picket line.
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