The reason so many women across the world didn’t turn up for work today

Earlier this year we’ve already seen massive protests on a global scale, to object Donald J. Trump's policies on planned parenthood, the repealing of Affordable Care Act, the Muslim ban and his general bigotry.

And today, as the world celebrates International Women's Day, many women around the world have chosen to strike by not turning up for work, wearing red and marching for various women’s rights issues. 

This time around, according to QZ.com, the goal of today’s #WomensStrike is to not only to highlight how strong and powerful women are in the workplace, but to also stand up for oppressed women everywhere and to protest against gender-based violence and abuse, sexism and discrimination women constantly face.   

Not everyone will be able to participate in the A Day Without Women strike - too many women are the sole caretakers and providers of their families, and some have criticised it as something only privileged women can take part in.

While this is true to an extent, we feel Jia Tolentino of The New Yorker makes a strong point when she says:

I can’t see much use in becoming emotionally or ethically paralyzed by the difference between my situation and that of, say, an undocumented housekeeper and mother of two. I’d rather strike, and look for structures that can fill the gap between us. Her concerns, regardless, are my concerns, too."

People have also been sharing some empowering tweets about today’s march and International Women’s Day - here are some of our favourites:

READ MORE: Hilarious Twitter parody account pokes fun at very real sexism in the workplace

These tweets which sums up what the march stands for:

What you can do to show your support

This person whose Beyoncé gif game is perfectly on point:

This women has shared how she's going to use their time off from work to help others:

While this woman is calling for the right to have agency over her own body:

The one image that perhaps sums it all up: