Standing in solidarity: A Day Without a Woman

One thing you must make sure you do this week is visit the International Women’s Day webpage and submit your #BeBoldForChange action.

Whilst you’re at it, why not participate in ‘A Day Without a Woman’?

I’m a strong believer in ‘To Do’ lists. My personal life is more often hideously disorganised than it is not, and in order to make head or tail of it, I have to set myself goals and make lists in my ever-expanding notebook collection (note to self: stop buying them just because they’re covered in glitter. You do not need them. Any of them). ‘To Do’ lists are a little bit like New Year’s resolutions – but in my books, they’re better. They’re a step-by-step guide in how to achieve your goal, rather than an unobtainable end result that you are hankering after. For example, I’m almost 100% sure that my New Year’s resolution of ‘become more like a mermaid’ is totally unfeasible, unless whaling around in the bath counts. Without my beloved ‘To Do’, I’m not sure that much would get done.

If you are anything like me and need such a list, I suggest the next item you add (and send shooting to the top) is one of the actions from the IWD website. It’s simple. Select the way in which you will look to aid the women’s movement – whether it’s one of five suggestions on the site (which each include a handy breakdown of how to initiate change), or whether it’s an idea of your own – and make it your chief goal to take as many steps as possible towards achieving that one thing over the next year.

Let’s readjust the lens and zoom a little closer to home.

Women’s March London can also empower you to drive change. Every ten days over a total span of 100 (which began after the march in London on the 21^st January, so we’re now on week 5), the site has pledged to issue a different action in order to help expedite our campaign for equality. This week is the International Women’s Week of Action and ‘A Day Without a Woman’ is something I urge you to get on board with, and to participate in one (or all) of the following ways:

• Wear red in solidarity
• Do not engage in paid or unpaid labour
• Avoid spending money, with the exception of supporting small women/minority-owned businesses that champion gender, racial and economic equality.

Whilst creating change and taking action isn’t just limited to what a website advises, being only a guideline, but it’s a fantastic way to inspire others.

So please, join me amongst so many others, in making a stand not only on Wednesday but throughout 2017.