Today we recognize International Women’s Day, in honor of laboring women across the nation and around the world. For Family Forward it’s not just about today. We honor a history of women’s strikes and their paid and unpaid labor every day, in our ongoing advocacy to advance gender, racial, and economic justice. Women deserve to be compensated for their work and to be recognized for their value as whole people, not just as workers or caregivers. We can no longer rely on the exploitation of women, and of women of color in particular, to maintain our economic and social systems.

We  are joining the national call for A Day Without a Woman strike – a day to lift up the paid and unpaid work that women, femmes, and all gender-oppressed people perform each and every day. And while we support this strike, we know that for too many women it is difficult (if not impossible) to not “work”.

How is it that in 2017 the entire existence and livelihood of women is still under attack? From reproductive health rights to  gender discrimination in the workplace to undocumented women being ripped away from their families, we will stand up and fight back with our sisters (and not just our cisters!).

Are you able to strike today?

If you can – great! Those with this privilege need to step up where they can. If not, we understand why. We know that our economy would come to a grinding halt if women truly opted out of our daily, unpaid, and largely invisible caregiving roles. Who would take care of children,elders, family members with disabilities if you or the women in your life didn’t do unpaid care work today?

Whether you’re striking today,working in solidarity with those that are, we invite you to take action. Check out this list of things you can do to honor and recognize your contribution or that of the women in your life

• Donate today’s wages to a local women’s advocacy organization (hint hint) like us! We also encourage you to donate and share widely this list of organizations in Oregon that is doing great work locally.
• Join us in Salem on March 23rd to make sure our legislators know that all Oregon families need paid family and medical leave!
• Refrain from shopping in stores or online unless it’s a women-owned business or a business owned by people of color.
• Wear red in solidarity with the strike or purple in solidarity with International Women’s Day.

However we “strike” today, we are standing in solidarity with generations who came before us. The history of strikes in the United States is derived from the labor movement – and has been one of the major strategies to advancing rights in the workplace, the voting booth, and many other public spheres. That’s why, whatever you do today, we encourage you to find a way to get involved in an activist community, in whatever way you can. This isn’t just about today, it’s about every day.

So, consider joining our community! Family Forward organizes and mobilizes all women (this includes women of color, gender non-conforming, and trans women), to advocate together to end racial and gender oppression in our economic system.