International Women's Day After Roe

International Women's Day (IWD) celebrated on March 8th was originally called International Working Women's Day. The earliest Women’s Day observance in the USA was held on February 28th 1909 in New York in remembrance of the 1908 strike of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Every year there’s a theme & this year it’s Embrace Equity. The aim of the International Women's Day 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about why equal opportunities aren't enough. Let's start with a basic definition of each word. Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities & equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances & allocates the exact resources & opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. People start from different places so true inclusion & belonging require equitable action. With this country currently upside down with the government stripping the rights of women like the reversal of Roe v Wade we’re facing a very difficult moment historically for women. Yes women have it much more challenging in other countries but there’s no rhyme or reason that the Equality Act first introduced by U.S. Representatives Bella Abzug (D-NY) in 1974 & still 49 years later has not become the law of land nationally where protections against discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation & marital status in federally assisted programs, housing sales, rentals, financing & brokerage services remains. In the meantime for American women equal pay is not yet equal. A woman makes 77 cents on a dollar & women of color make 67 cents. So for starters let’s take the challenge & pass the Equality Act.