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Wednesday, March 8th marks 2017’s International Women’s Day. Each year this day includes global events striving for political, economical, and societal equality beyond gender, in addition to celebrating women’s strides and achievements worldwide. This year the campaign’s theme asks to #BeBoldForChange, a “call on the masses or a call on yourself to help forge a better working world—a more inclusive gender equal world.” Organized in relation to this celebration, the “Day Without a Woman” general strike also begins on March 8th. Inspired by the “Day Without Immigrants Strike,” the protest will demonstrate the integral presence of women domestically and globally.

UMass Amherst is following the call promptly, holding several events in honor of the day and protest. Beginning in the Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies Department, with their organized “WALK-IN!, Professor Kiran Asher is opening her 10:10 a.m. class (WGSS 220: Gender, the Global Environment and Sustainability) to all on Wednesday as Betsy Hartmann guest lectures about Women, the Environment and Population Control. All participants are encouraged to follow the Day Without A Woman dress code and wear red!

Following Tuesday’s event at the New Africa House, the celebration of International Women’s Day continues Wednesday with another event co-sponsored by the International Programs Office, Office of Family Resources and Afro-American Studies in the Cape Cod Lounge at 4 p.m. The celebration’s lineup includes local performers and presentations on women who are “bold for change,” as well as henna, button making, international desserts, children’s activities and more. The event is asking all who attend to bring donations of menstrual products for the Amherst Survival Center.

Starting at noon on Wednesday, an International Women’s Day march will begin outside the Fine Arts Center and will end at the lawn between the Student Union, the Campus Center, and the Integrative Learning Center as an act of solidarity for all women’s rights and liberation. Created by the UMass Coalition to Resist Trump’s Policies and co-sponsored by an astounding twenty organizational groups within the Five Colleges, the event encourages intersectional conversations and inclusive demonstrating, as the march holds an emphasis on the human rights of women of color, trans women, queer women, immigrant women, undocumented women with disabilities, women of minority faiths, and working class women. E-Board member of UMass Students for Reproductive Justice, Amanda Chang ‘17, will be one of the speakers to take the stage at the march to discuss the fragility of reproductive rights and ensures the day will include inclusive discourse, “Reproductive rights do not simply equate to women’s rights. For too long, the face of reproductive rights has been that of white, cis, straight women, but we are going to discuss deeper intricacies of injustice.”

Following the march, there will be a panel to discuss resistance efforts and coalition-building at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center. Speakers will include women from various Five College organizations, such as the UMass Amherst Climateers, the Smith Coalition to Resist Trump, the Muslim Student Association, and more!

Learn more about International Women’s Day online!