March 8th is International Women’s Day.
All over the world, women and their supporters will walk out, strike, and rally in opposition to sexual and racial violence, economic inequality, aggressive policing, and endless war.
In solidarity with women across the globe, the Geneva Women’s Assembly (GWA) calls everyone to strike from noon to 1:00 p.m. on March 8th and join them for a rally, followed by musical performances and the creation of a community art project in Bicentennial Park.
Building off the #MeToo campaign’s attention to sexual harassment, as well as the energy from the Seneca Falls march in January, the Geneva strike and rally will highlight the diverse forms of women’s work, work that is often unpaid. GWA organizer Hannah Dickinson observes that “Too much of women’s work is invisible. It’s what people just assume will get done. Often it is invisible because it is unpaid, low-waged, or just taken for granted. But when we strike, it becomes clear: Geneva works when women work. GWA’s aim with this year’s action in Bicentennial Park is to make women’s work visible.”
Women are invited to bring pictures, props, and symbols of their work to pin to clotheslines that will be strung up across the park. They can also share pictures of themselves at work on social media with the hashtag #thatswhatshedoes. Banan Otaibi, one of the organizers of the William Smith Walkout, says, “I’m most excited for the community art installation and to make visible the work women do here in the Finger Lakes and across the globe. The clothesline art project will bring awareness to the intersections of gender, race, and class struggles when we all put representations of our work on the line.”
Laura Salamendra said, “I can’t wait for Finger Lakes women to see for ourselves and show the world how diverse and important all of our work is. When we strike on March 8th, we strike from our paid work. But we don’t take a break from fighting for a better world. The oppressive conditions women live under have forced us to develop the skills we need to fight and to win.”
This is the second year that the Geneva Women’s Assembly has organized a strike and rally for March 8. Last year, several hundred people rallied in front of Congressman Tom Reed’s Exchange Street office. Following speeches from multiple speakers, approximately seventy people occupied the Congressman’s office, claiming it for the people.
As it did last year, the Geneva Women’s Assembly is collecting money for a strike fund to support strike preparations as well as women for whom striking may pose an economic hardship. If you would like to contribute, please visit the website: https://www.youcaring.com/strikingwomenofthefingerlakes-1086294.
For more details on International Women’s Day and the Women’s Strike, follow the Geneva Women’s Assembly on Facebook.
