Wednesday was International Women’s Day. Some women in the U.S. stayed home from work to highlight the economic importance of women. Others wore red in a show of solidarity or committed to not shopping for the day or only shopping at women owned businesses.
Hilary Morgan is the executive director of the YWCA in Anchorage. She says her staff struggled with how to show support but also honor women who do not have the option of missing a day of work. In Alaska, where domestic violence and sexual assault rates are perennially high and the rate of pay for women ranks 48th in the nation, Morgan says they kept the office open to offer support for those who need it. She says low pay for women often means being stuck.
Lori Townsend is the chief editor, senior vice president of journalism and senior host for Alaska Public Media. You can send her news tips and program ideas for Talk of Alaska and Alaska Insight at ltownsend@alaskapublic.org or call 907-550-8452. Read more about Lori here.
