International Women's Day was sparked with a strike in 1908, conducted by the Garment Workers' Union in New York City. It has been observed every year now for almost a century and today we are proud to join in a movement of solidarity at a time that calls for it once again. A Day Without A Woman is an organized strike and show of support for equality across the world, a demonstration of the socio-economic impact women can and do have. As a company led, founded, and primarily run by women, the Guest of a Guest team, as well as our CEO's womenswear brand, Lingua Franca, are taking the day off. Yes, it is a privilege to do so, but in a political climate in which social progress is being threatened, we find it necessary to stand up to a regime that prefers women "to dress like women" in the White House, considers pregnant women "hosts," and thinks our bodies are merely things to be grabbed.

We are women of all social, cultural, economic, and political backgrounds, but these are the reasons we strike today.