First it was a March now it is a 24-hour strike. In honor of international women's day the organizers of the huge women's marches that took place in January are urging women who can to skip work today. It is a protest called a day without a woman today's action is one way the women's March payments as they want to keep momentum going. Joining me is Dawniel Stewart. Welcome. Both of women's March San Diego. So what are the issues a day without a woman is meant to highlight. It was established primarily to acknowledge the enormous value that women of all backgrounds have while receiving lower wages and experiencing greater inequities and vulnerabilities to things like discrimination sexual harassment there is a real concern here as where women rank when it comes to men. White men comparatively to white women white women make about 79% of what white men make an African and that seen in women make even less than that. We are trying to drop attention to the fact that women are an important part of society. What are they being asked to do is to show their support for the protest. Not ever -- everyone can strike. Not everyone can take a day off work. What we have put out there. We are offering ideas on how people can participate and a few ways -- there are several but a few ways that people can participate in this strikes today are one by wearing red and other by divesting and big box corporations and instead investing in local small businesses women and minority owned businesses If you're going to spend money today don't go a big struggle to a locally owned store. We are asking for women to step in a call your representatives and sign up and do a huddle. Go volunteer at an organization that is already doing ground-level work in the community. There are many ways in which people can get connected and involved in the strike not just by taking off work. The San Diego women's March through 50,000 people to the streets. Any idea how many local women are expected to take part in today's protest. Judging by the amount of support that we got on Instagram and Facebook it is easily in the thousands. Even women that I work with today a couple of them did not know about the strike until yesterday and we were telling her boss ahead of time we will not be in he was like what's going on. I think a big part of that is because of this strike has been largely promoted through social media and our bosses 78 years old so he does not necessarily use face exit once he learned about the March he was super excited about it and was completely said orders so it is really hard to tell because with the March in general about 10,000 people on Facebook checked in and said they were going but there were over 50,000 people there. Is there any sort of rally planned in San Diego to correspond with a day without a woman. San Diego in particular is not doing a rally or any kind of March for today's event. With got some things coming up as well. To organize and we are partnering with another organization in the community from May 1 and that is where we are going to be striking. It is a general strike with a labor union and we will be out in the streets marching and rallying because the women's March and January was more successful than anyone predicted it sounds to me that you are trying to build on that I mentioned. Is women's March San Diego something that is here to stay? I think so. Part of what we are trying to do is funnel our supporters to organizations that need the help in our community because tons of organizations have been doing this work for years and decades. One of the biggest things that they needed volunteers. So we have a support of about 10,000 study people who comment on our post and like our posts and engage with our best so our goal is to announce what these organizations need and channel our volunteers toward the organizations that need the assistance. My final question. There has been criticism that this is not a women's March but it's a liberal women's March. This is not a day without a woman this is a day without a liberal women. What message do you have for women who do not share your political persuasion. Who are conservative. Is is a day for them as well? Yes absolutely. This is a day for women to show just how needed we are in society regardless of your political preference regardless of your -- of anything. It is just women are a pivotal part of our society. Without women -- honestly nothing would happen. So it is just a day for women to show exactly how much clout we have in society and what we bring to the table. Even if you don't agree with us politically we ask that you at least agree with us that women mean something in society. A day without a woman means that society is going to have a rough go of it today. I've been speaking with Donyell and Emily both in San Diego women's March. Thank you.
American women are staying home from work, zipping up their wallets, wearing red and attending rallies across the country to show their economic strength and impact on society as part of International Women's Day celebrations happening across the globe Wednesday.
"A Day Without a Woman" is the first major action by organizers of the Women's March since the day after President Donald Trump's inauguration, when millions of women poured into the streets in protest of misogyny, inequality and oppression.
RELATED: More Than 30,000 San Diegans March For Women’s Rights
The event coincides with the U.N.-designated International Women's Day. German airline Lufthansa had six all-female crews flying from several cities in the country to Berlin. Sweden's women's football team replaced the names on the back of their jerseys with tweets from Swedish women "who have struggled to gain ground in their respective field." Finland announced plans to create a $160,000 International Gender Equality Prize. Women also held rallies in Tokyo and Madrid.
In the U.S., spokeswoman Cassady Findlay said organizers for "A Day Without a Woman" were inspired by the recent "Day Without an Immigrant" protests held last month. She said the action is aimed at highlighting the effect of women on the country's socio-economic system and demonstrating how the paid and unpaid work of women keeps households, communities and economies running.
"We provide all this value and keep the system going and receive unequal benefits from it," Findlay said.
Findlay said it is important for white women to be in solidarity with minority women.
"Throughout history, the strikes that have the biggest impact are the ones when people who are already the target of oppression participate," she said. "It's when women of all backgrounds strike and stand together that we're really going to see the impact."
Trump took to Twitter on Wednesday and asked followers to join him in "honoring the critical role of women" in the U.S. and around the world. He tweeted that he has "tremendous respect for women and the many roles they serve that are vital to the fabric of our society and our economy."
Ivanka Trump echoed her father's sentiments, tweeting: "Today, we celebrate women and are reminded of our collective voice and the powerful impact we have on our societies and economies."
Unlike the Women's March, Wednesday's U.S. protests focus on the absence of women, who are being steered to local rallies and community groups and away from work or shopping in stores or online. Organizers also are asking women to wear red to signify love and sacrifice.
In New York, organizers are planning a gathering in Central Park. International Women's Day rallies also are planned in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Washington and Berkeley, California.
Some businesses and institutions have said they will either close or give female employees the day off.
DC: Join us 12pm today at a #DayWithoutAWoman gathering with Women in Congress https://t.co/wyzfwQm2Jh pic.twitter.com/KGbRkhngSV
— Women's March (@womensmarch) March 8, 2017
School districts including Prince George's County in Maryland, the Alexandria City Public Schools in Virginia and Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools in North Carolina have canceled classes in anticipation of employee participation. In Utah, as many as 1,000 women are expected to gather at the Capitol to remind lawmakers they are watching their actions on women's issues.
In Providence, Rhode Island, the municipal court plans to close because the demonstration in the city would leave the court without enough staff to open. Lovely Monkey Tattoo, a female-owned tattoo parlor in Whitmore Lake, Michigan, is offering female-centric tattoos with messages like, "Nevertheless, She Persisted" for $50 to $100, with proceeds going to the Ann Arbor chapter of Planned Parenthood.
The role of women in American society is significant. According to the U.S. Census, women make up more than 47 percent of the workforce and are dominant in professions including registered nurses, dental assistants, cashiers, accountants and pharmacists. They make up at least a third of physicians and surgeons, as well as lawyers and judges. Women also represent 55 percent of all college students.
Still, American women continue to be paid less than men, earning 80 cents for every dollar a man makes. The median income for women was $40,742 in 2015, compared with $51,212 for men, according to census data.
