For International Women’s Day, which falls annually on March 8, people across the world are celebrating with a variety of tones. Some festivities are commemorating the achievements of women, others are protesting in an effort to end gender inequalities and gender-based violence.
In Bangkok, women took to the streets and marched, equipped with banners, as did activists in Berlin. Meanwhile, across the U.K., some women marked the day by participating in sunrise swims.
Across the U.S., Women’s March—a network born out of Trump’s first presidency and dedicated to building a base of feminist activism—and affiliates organized marches to mobilize and celebrate their “Unite and Resist” call to action.
According to Women’s March executive director Rachel O’Leary Carmona, the goal of the day is to help people “build community” and “practice democracy,” particularly at a time when democratic resistance to President Donald Trump’s Administration presents as fractured.
This was seen most plainly at Trump’s congressional address on Tuesday, during which varying responses from Democrats—including some congresswomen who were dressed in pink to denote their disapproval with how Trump’s policies affect women and families, other members of Congress wearing blue and yellow in solidarity with Ukraine, and some lawmakers who walked out of the speech in protest—showed a fragmented and broad messaging from the left.
Carmona says that just because the left has different priorities and goals, does not mean they cannot be united in their “fight against” what she describes as “authoritarianism.” And Carmona sees these International Women’s Day actions as a moment to practice this unity.
“Just because different folks are building different things, does not mean that everyone is not running in the same…
