March 8 Marks 'A Day Without a Woman'

 

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March 8 is International Women’s Day.

In the United States, some people will be marking the day by protesting². Wednesday is being called “A Day Without a Woman.”

Organizers of the Women’s March on Washington proposed³ the demonstration⁴ in the United States. Like that march in January, organizers say the protest¹ is in reaction to President Donald Trump’s position on women’s issues and comments he has made about women.

But unlike the women’s march, Wednesday’s protest centers on the absence of women.

Organizers are calling for women to take the day off work and are urging them not to spend money Wednesday. They say “A Day Without a Woman” is a way to bring attention to, in their words, “the enormous⁵ value that women of all backgrounds add to our socio-economic system -- while receiving lower wages and experiencing greater inequalities.”

Organizers also are asking supporters to wear the color red to show love and sacrifice.

Some U.S. school districts have already canceled classes for Wednesday. Alexandria City Public Schools in Virginia said more than 300 staff members requested to take off work Wednesday.

As they did with the women’s march, the organizers for the “A Day Without a Woman” strike have largely⁶ used social media to gain support and spread the word.

But, some people on social media have been sharply⁷ critical of the protest. They say that, because many women cannot afford to take a day off work, the protest only includes those at a higher economic level.

A writer for the Los Angeles Times describes Wednesday’s protest as “A Day Without a Privileged⁸ Woman.” “Privileged” means having special rights or conditions that most other people do not have.

The organizers, however, have said that women who can protest will strike for those who cannot.

“Many women in our most vulnerable⁹ communities will not have the ability to join the strike, due to economic insecurity,” organizers said on their website. “We strike for them.”

Women in more than 50 countries around the world will also protest on March 8. The movement is part of the International Women’s Strike. They will be protesting violence against women and demanding equal rights.

Words in This Story

enormous - adj. very great in size or amount

background - n. the experiences, knowledge, education, etc., in a person's past

afford - v. to be able to pay for (something)

privileged- adj. having special rights or advantages that most people do not have

vulnerable - adj. open to attack, harm, or damage

1 protest   

v.反对，抗议；宣称；n.抗议；宣称

参考例句：

• I can't pass the matter by without a protest.我不能对此事视而不见，我要提出抗议。
• We translated his silence as a protest.我们把他的沉默解释为抗议。

2 protesting   

v.声明( protest的现在分词 )；坚决地表示；申辩

参考例句：

• They were formally protesting. 他们正式提出抗议。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They were protesting soaring prices. 他们抗议物价暴涨。 来自辞典例句

3 proposed   

被提议的

参考例句：

• There is widespread discontent among the staff at the proposed changes to pay and conditions. 员工对改变工资和工作环境的建议普遍不满。
• an outcry over the proposed change 对拟议的改革所发出的强烈抗议

4 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

5 enormous   

adj.巨大的；庞大的

参考例句：

• An enormous sum of money is injected each year into teaching.每年都有大量资金投入到教学中。
• They wield enormous political power.他们行使巨大的政治权力。

6 largely   

adv.大部分，主要地

参考例句：

• It is largely dependent on the weather.这多半取决于天气情况。
• Their conclusions were largely founded on guesswork.他们的结论大部份基于猜测。

7 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

8 privileged   

adj.享有特权的；特许的，专用的；秘密的，保密的；幸运的

参考例句：

• Those in authority were in a privileged position. 有地位者自有特权。
• a privileged Wasp background 享有特权的盎格鲁&dash1;撒克逊裔白人新教徒出身

9 vulnerable   

adj.易受伤的，脆弱的，易受攻击的

参考例句：

• He volunteered to protect her as she looked so vulnerable.她看上去很脆弱，他就主动去保护她。
• The company is in an economically vulnerable position.该公司目前经济状况不稳定。