Life

13 Feminist Women's Strike Sign Ideas

by Eliza Castile
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On March 8, a "Day Without A Woman" will occur — 24 hours for women around the world to go on strike from paid and unpaid labor. The idea is that their absence will highlight women's contributions to the world, which too often go unrecognized or taken for granted. If you can make it to one of the planned events for the day, you may be looking for feminist sign ideas for the women's strike, so you can stand out from the crowd while standing up for gender equality. Although many participants won't be working on the designated day, organizers have planned plenty of protests and marches to make their voices heard.

Organizers of the strike chose the date carefully to coincide with both International Women's Day and the similarly-themed International Women's Strike. Even women who can't afford to take off the entirety of March 8 can still join in; according to the Women's March's event page for the strike, participants can avoid shopping for the day (or shop only at women- and minority-owned stores) or simply wear red in solidarity. "In the same spirit... that inspired the Women's March, we join together in making March 8th A Day Without a Woman, recognizing the enormous value that women of all backgrounds add to our socio-economic system — while receiving lower wages and experiencing greater inequities, vulnerability to discrimination, sexual harassment, and job insecurity," the Women's March organizers write.

If you feel like you spent all your creativity (and puns) on the Women's March on Washington in January, never fear! There's a wide world of feminist wordplay to be had out there. So grab your markers and some poster board, and get to work before the big day.

1Poke Fun At The POTUS

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The current POTUS provided the impetus for the Women's March on Washington, whose organizers are also in charge of the Day Without a Woman. Give the self-described p*ssy grabber a little credit (read: mockery) with your sign.

2Show Your Exasperation

Really? It's been nearly a century since (white) women gained the right to vote in the United States and we're still having to defend our rights?

3Remember The Importance Of Unity

Feminism won't get anywhere unless we stand together.

4Don't Forget Support From Men

Not to go the way of #NotAllMen, but it's important to recognize the place men have in the feminist movement; feminism is for all genders, after all. If you're a man attending one of the marches, make a sign acknowledging your support of gender equality — and, for that matter, equality of all sorts.

5Touch On Immigration

Immigrants have been systematically targeted by Trump's administration so far, and the Day Without a Woman is an opportunity to show support for women who have immigrated to the United States. After all, the entire point of intersectional feminism is recognizing that everyone has interlocking identities. In fact, strike organizers note on their website that the Day Without A Woman was inspired by actions like the strike led by Yemeni bodega store owners.

6Break Out Your Favorite Quote

Do you have a favorite quote from feminist figures like Audre Lorde, bell hooks, or Gloria Steinem? Time to work on your penmanship and introduce that passage to the world.

7Take A Shot At Capitalism

It's no secret that in some ways, corporations have more rights in America than its citizens. Use a sign to demonstrate how decidedly unacceptable that is.

8Call Out The GOP

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While you're in the business of calling people out, point out how little the Republican party has done to protect women's rights, particularly when it comes to access to abortion.

9Include The LGBTQ Community

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Judging from recent rollbacks of Obama-era protections for transgender students, the LGBTQ community may experience attacks on their rights under the current administration as well. Demonstrate your support with a sign.

10Print Out Tweets

To show that women's rights are in danger even in 2017, print out tweets from politicians demonstrating a lack of respect for gender equality.

11Keep It Simple

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If we were all kind and treated each other with respect, protests like the Day Without a Woman wouldn't be necessary. Use your sign as a reminder.

12Stay Positive

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Many obstacles still face women in today's society, but we're perfectly capable of overcoming them. Step one: Making a fabulously-designed sign affirming our abilities.

13Pay Homage To Suffragettes

If it weren't for the work of feminists before us, gender equality would be in a very different state than it is today. Pay homage to the suffragettes, like the (absolutely perfect) protester at the Women's March pictured above.