Hundreds of women marched yesterday in Philadelphia for the Day Without Women Rally that started in Logan Square, in Philadelphia. This demonstration is part of a worldwide effort - lead by Global Women’s Strike- to bring awareness and keep up the conversation on women’s workforce and social situations.

Demonstrators gathered at Logan Square and marched to Thomas Paine Plaza as part of the International Women's Day strike. Organizers of the January Women's March called for women to take the day off and encouraged them not to spend money Wednesday to show their economic strength and impact on the United States.

"A Day Without a Woman" is the first national action by organizers since the nationwide marches held the day after President Donald Trump's inauguration that drew millions of women into the streets in protest against misogyny, inequality and oppression.

“Today’s demonstrations are valid when you see female workers across the spectrum (from professionals to mothers) facing hard times to make ends meet. Philadelphia has the highest rate in poverty and deep poverty of the U.S. and women and their children are more vulnerable to this situations, not only because of salary disparities, but because lack of same-conditions opportunities,” said Phoebe Jones, GWS committee member for Philly. 

Jones thinks the fact that 25 percent of teachers in Philadelphia are women and many of them have worked for the past five years without contract shows how vulnerable they are compared to men. “We want our work to be recognized”, she said.

Spokeswoman Cassady Findlay said organizers were inspired by the recent "Day Without an Immigrant" protests held last month, as reported in NBC. She said the action is aimed at highlighting the effect of women on the country's socioeconomics system and demonstrating how women's paid and unpaid work keeps households, communities and economies running.
"We do all of this and get paid less than men, get sexually harassed, get inadequate family leave," Findlay said. "We provide all this value and keep the system going, and receive unequal benefits from it."

The International Women’s Strike ended in Philadelphia with a event called Unify - An international Women’s Day Concert at Underground Arts.

For more information go to Global Women’s Strike Philadelphia Fan Page