'Day Without a Woman' Hits US

It's International Women's Day, and many women are staying home from work, refusing to buy anything, and attending rallies dressed in red as part of the "Day Without a Woman" protest in the US. Organizers of the women's marches that were held after President Trump's inauguration put together Wednesday's protest, with rallies planned in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Washington, and California, among other places. Some businesses and institutions either shut down or gave female employees the day off; in some areas, school districts canceled classes and a municipal court closed because so many teachers and other employees called out.

A spokesperson says the Day Without a Woman is meant to show how important women are to the US socio-economic system, and how their paid and unpaid work benefits households, communities, and economies, the AP reports. Check out pictures of US protests and other International Women's Day rallies around the globe in the gallery. (More International Women's Day stories.)