On Monday, June 24, women’s rights activists across the country will protest together against gender inequality. Organizers of the Portland Women’s Strike are calling for a show of solidarity.
At noon on Monday, gender and reproductive rights activists will gather along the red-decorated Burnside Bridge.
Local organizers are asking supporters to stay out of work or school if possible and not to pump money into the economy on that day unless it’s to support a women-owned business. They’re also asking supporters to promote the strike on social media in the days leading up to it, using the hashtags #WomensStrikePortland and #WomensStrike2024.
The women’s strike dates back to October 24, 1975, when Icelandic women went on strike to demonstrate the necessity and importance of women in society. Women boycotted workplaces, schools, housework and childcare to protest their undervalued and unpaid work – and chaos reigned. Schools, printing works, banks and airlines closed or operated at reduced capacity. Grocers reportedly stopped selling their sausages because they were one of the few simple meals fathers could prepare for their hungry children without the help of their wives.
The 1975 strike, also known as Women’s Friday, succeeded in reducing gender inequality in Iceland – the first gender equality law was passed the following year. The strike has since inspired other countries to protest against gender issues in similar ways.
June 24 is a significant date in the world of gender inequality, especially in the United States. In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Roe v. Wade decriminalized abortion nationwide and declared it a constitutional right. 49 years later, on June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned that decision.
A press release from Women’s Strike Portland describes June 24 and the lifting of the Roe v. Wade as a “serious blow to women’s reproductive freedom and health care” and declared that their goal was to “stand united in a peaceful, visible demonstration for human rights”.
Oregon is one of 25 states where abortion is still available or largely available, according to Planned Parenthood. As of June 2024, 12 states have a complete ban on abortion and seven states have laws restricting abortion to varying degrees.
Amy Hamdan, a volunteer with Women’s Strike Portland, stressed the need to continue to fight for gender equality. “Women are still fighting,” she says. “Women are still fighting to stop gender-based violence. Women are still fighting for basic equality. Women are still fighting for freedom over their own bodies – including gender-equitable healthcare. The Equal Rights Amendment has not been ratified for over 50 years.
“The goal of our women’s strike is to reinforce the message that all women around the world deserve these basic human rights,” says Hamdan. “We want everyone to wear red on this day in solidarity with the movement. If you can’t attend the visibility rally, we ask women not to go to work or school. But if they have to, they should wear red.”
