CINCINNATI -- "Anything that's expected of you, don't do it."
That's how local activist and organizer Billie Mays described "A Day Without a Woman"
"We're half the population," Mays said. "We hope to make an impact."
Women around the world are celebrating International Women's Day on Wednesday. The same group that organized the highly successful Women's March in Washington D.C. after Inauguration Day are encouraging women to shop and eat at only women or minority-owned business, to wear read and to take the day off work.
READ MORE: 'Day Without A Woman' forces North Carolina school district to cancel classes
There are other options for some women who may be unable to strike, May said.
On "A Day Without an Immigrant," several businesses around the country fired workers who took the day off to participate in the nationwide strike. They defended the decision after public outcry.
"We don't want anyone to lose their jobs," Mays said. "But don't cook, don't clean, don't spend money."
The women's strike is meant to recognize "the enormous value that women of all backgrounds add to our socioeconomic system, while receiving lower wages and experiencing greater inequities, vulnerability to discrimination, sexual harassment and job insecurity," according to the Women's March website.
Women rallied in Cincinnati at Piatt Park Wednesday evening.
"It's real important that people get out and take a stand," Mays said.
For more on this story, watch the video above.
