AUGUST 26, 2015
Red Stocking Day - Women of the world take the day off all paid and unpaid work
Red Rock — On Oct. 24, 1975, 90 percent of Icelandic women went on strike, refusing to do any work at their homes or their jobs. It was a movement created by a group called the Red Stockings. It was the largest demonstration in the nation's history and shut down the entire country. Airports were closed, schools were closed, and hospitals couldn't function. The strike had an immediate and lasting impact. The following year, Iceland's Parliament (now half women) passed a law guaranteeing women equal pay and paid maternity leave. Four years later, Iceland elected the world's first female President. And today, Iceland has the highest gender equality in the world.
Forty years later women will celebrate this strike and continue the struggle. To commemorate the day, women of the world are encouraged to take the day off work inside and outside the home. The Day Off will fall on Friday, October 23, 2015. Although the anniversary is the next day, we have chosen a Friday to create more impact and show the importance of women’s work and contribution in today’s society.
“I read about this historic event and thought it would be a fantastic idea to recreate and celebrate on a large world wide scale,” says event host Carmel Debreuil. “I started with a private Facebook event but it became so popular within a day that I created a public event that all women could share and invite people to participate.”
Between the two pages over 23.5 thousand women have been invited and the numbers are growing every day. It has been shared around the world and there are events planned in major centers around the Australia and the rest of the globe. More women are putting up their hands to organize events in new centers every day.
“If the female half of the workforce doesn't show up to work and women are not doing the unpaid work in the home such as cleaning up, cooking, washing laundry, minding children, it will be a day that goes down in history. Let's see what kind of change we can make. Our mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers started this movement and I think we should continue it. There are still so many human rights that are not available to women around the world and that includes basic things like education, safety and pay equality,” says Carmel.
“Not everyone will celebrate this as a political day and not every woman will realistically be able to take the day off. However we are encouraging any one who wants to show support to wear red stockings or socks. It’s a great visual way to be a part of the event and back up women around the world.”
For more information or to join the event please visit the event page and click here to become a local organizer.
