Can’t Strike? Other Ways to Support A Day Without A Woman

Today is International Women’s Day as well as A Day Without A Woman. All over the country, women are striking to demonstrate what a crucial part of the workforce and economy they are. Here at Apartment Therapy, our staff is roughly 75% women-identified and our audience is majority women-identified, and we would be remiss not to acknowledge the impact or the importance of today. If you can’t or don’t want to strike but still want to support the movement, you can do so by abstaining from purchasing anything today, or only purchasing from women and minority owned businesses.

We’ve rounded up a design business with an iconic t-shirt, women makers and coffee roasters, and an independent bookstore. A mix of the practical and political, if you want to throw your economic weight around today, these shops are run by women.

• Otherwild is a Queer, Women owned shop and design collective known for The Future is Female tee.
• Read up on resistance (our pick: Roxane Gay’s new book, Difficult Women) and support your local women-owned bookstore.
• Nalgona is a woman run Etsy shop focused on “decolonizing the body.”
• Run by one of our multitalented House Tour contributors, Xnasozi is a textile and home decor brand based in Brooklyn.
• Equator Coffees & Teas is a woman run, sustainable coffee roaster.
• Gravel and Gold is another women owned design and maker collective, based in San Francisco.

Another way for women to support A Day Without A Woman and International Women’s Day is to abstain from buying anything at all. If you want to supplement that with charitable support today (or any day), here are a few organizations doing interesting and important things:

• Kiva, a micro-loan non-profit, is crowd sourcing $3 million in loans to women today.
• Dress For Success helps women “achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.”
• The Malala Fund is dedicated to removing barriers to education for young girls through advocacy across the globe.
• Local to the DC-Maryland-Virginia area, The Grassroots Solidarity Fund was started to provide monetary support for the economically vulnerable who are participating in the strike.
• Women’s Refugee Commission “improves the lives and protects the rights of women, children and youth displaced by conflict and crisis. We research their needs, identify solutions and advocate for programs and policies to strengthen their resilience and drive change in humanitarian practice.”
• Founded in 1920, The League of Women Voters is a partisan fund dedicated to increasing active participation in government.