Wed. 3/8: International Women’s Day
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
4:30p – 6:30p
- 4:30p – Meet at Magic Island
- 5:00p – Begin march to Trump Hotel Waikiki
- 5:45p – Rally & Program at Trump Hotel Waikiki (223 Saratoga Rd, Honolulu, HI 96815)
Organized by the AiKea Movement, UNITE HERE Local 5, Women’s March Hawai’i, and the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA).
Historically, International Women’s Day has focused on the working conditions of women. Women and people of color experience workplace injury, sexual harassment, unequal pay, and other forms of injustice at higher rates.
Wear red and bring signs (see below for more information on signs.) For more information, view the Facebook event, or email [email protected].
#ShePersisted
AiKea organizer Lisa holds up a poster honoring Evelyn Chang, a retired cocktail server and Local 5 member who worked at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani for decades.
For the action, we are making signs to honor women workers with the slogan “She Persisted,” made (in)famous after Senator Mitch McConnell silenced Senator Elizabeth Warren in the middle of her speech.
We welcome you to make your own signs, honoring the strong and persistent women in your life. If you would like us to help you make a sign, send a photo of a woman you would like to honor to [email protected].
About International Women’s Day
The first International Woman’s Day (IWD) was observed in 1911. Weeks later, the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City took the lives of 146 working women, most of them immigrants.
This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labor legislation in the U.S. that became a focus of subsequent International Women’s Day events. The International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGU) successfully fought for better wages, benefits, and working conditions.
Women workers today
ILGU later became the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE) in 1995. Then in 2004, it merged with Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union (HERE) in 2004 to create a new union known as UNITE HERE. In Hawai’i, UNITE HERE Local 5 represents over 10,000 workers in the hospitality, healthcare, and food service industries.
Women workers have made a lot of progress since the start of IWD, but more work needs to be done to create safe and equitable working conditions for women.
