Int’l Women’s Day also “A Day Without A Woman” this year

Mothers and daughters, sisters and friends, along with professional women across the nation united to show their economic strength and impact on Wednesday.

It's part of International Women's Day ('IWD'). The day of commemoration has been around since the early 1900's but this year, it was also noted as "A Day Without A Woman". Organizers urged women to wear red, not shop unless it's from a female-owned shop, and stay home from work if they could." 

"If women truly all stayed home today [Wednesday], the nation would collapse," says Dr. Chrys Egan.

Dr. Egan, an associate professor of Communication and Gender Studies at Salisbury University, explains "A Day Without A Woman" fell on the heels of the Women's March on Washington in January. More than five million supporters worldwide joined the movement on January 21, with more than one million in Washington, D.C.

"They're thinking why lose that momentum, right?" says Dr. Egan. "Even that March on D.C. was not at all a march on D.C. There were sister marches all over the world."

Wednesday's demonstration of economic solidarity was a big theme behind a rally in Midtown New York, according to organizers. 

"I think that this has been brewing a long time, you know? Women have been tired of not being equally represented…things like equal pay, things like our reproductive rights," organizer Breanne Butler told WABC.

In Salisbury, not showing up for work was not something the staff at Acorn Market considered. Store owner Christine Braughler tells 47ABC she supports the message of empowering women; however, she does not think this method proved much.

"We never even considered it," says Braughler. "We're proud of what we do. We look forward to what we do and being successful."

Braughler says nine out of 10 employees at the store are women, including Sheila Loar. The Salisbury resident says she thinks empowerment boils down to choices women are allowed to make.

"I came to work with a smile on my face, because it's a great place to work," says Loar. "The thought never crossed my mind to stay at home to prove that I was a woman in the workforce. I love what I do here."

Regardless of how the movement was observed, Egan says 47ABC there's a deeper message.

"I think the greater point is we couldn't possibly function today with no women," she says.

On Wednesday evening, Salisbury University held their first IWD conference named "Hearing Women's Voices".