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International Women’s Day Rally in Athens
< < Back toMore than a 100 women gathered in front of the Athens County courthouse Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the social, cultural and political achievements of women.
But it wasn’t just women in the crowd. Men were there too.
“I have attended this rally because I’m a feminist. And I believe that this is what feminism looks like,” said Athens resident Douglas Koala Robinson.
“As a man I attended this rally because I believe in the equal pay and rights for women. And as someone who has three sisters I truly believe that there is no difference between man and woman.”
Several women took the microphone and spoke to the crowd about issues ranging from sexual violence over Planned Parenthood to the current actions of President Trump.
Organizers called the attendees to wear red clothes as rally color. Many women were also wearing pink hats from the Women’s March in Washington.
Community activist Andrea Reik is one of the women who organized the rally. She says, even we are in the 21st century there still isn’t gender equality in the US.
“In several areas, no we’re not there yet. In terms of equal rights for women that’s never been ratified in our constitution,” Reik said.
“And women’s earning rights are only at 80 cents while a men is earning a dollar. So we have a lot to do in terms of equal gender parity.”
International Women’s Day was born in 1910 at the second International Conference of Working Women.
Clara Zetkin proposed a day every year in every country for women to press for their demands.
Since then women all over the globe gather every 8th of March to demonstrate for women’s rights and gender equality.