AnalogFolk protest campaign reminds of the true activist history of IWD

International Women’s Day began with a protest in 1908, when 15,000 women marched in New York to demand shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. AnalogFolk’s new campaign hopes to return to that purpose with its new campaign, Still Present, which aims to encourage activism around a number of issues today.

In a release, AnalogFolk says protests today happen “as much in digital spaces as physical ones”. So the agency has created a digital protest pack and website featuring repurposed signs from historic protests, which can be printed or used online by audiences today. “People can pick a sign that resonates with them or represents their values, and the related protest sign is a call to action encouraging others to join the initiative,” the release continues.

The agency has drawn attention to a number of urgent issues through the Still Present website, seeking to educate and galvanise visitors. It highlights that transgender women are 3.6 times more likely to be targeted in hate crimes than cisgender women, citing a study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, and that in 2020, women in C-Suite positions earned just $0.75 for every dollar earned by executive men, in the biggest pay gap since 2012, according to Bloomberg. It calls attention to the fact that intersectionality amplifies the impact of discrimination on women of colour. The site reads: “In 2020, Hispanic women earned only 57 cents and Black women earned only 64 cents for every $1 earned by white men (CAP).”

The campaign also discusses restrictions to abortion rights, which is an issue which does not only affect cis women but significantly impacts trans men, non-binary people and other underrepresented genders too.

AnalogFolk suggests that audiences can also use Still Present protest signs on social media posts and link out to a women-focused organisation – a useful idea when many require support to continue the work they do year round.

AnalogFolk adds: “These protest signs are still as relevant today as they were then, given the current state of women’s rights. They serve as a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggles for women’s rights.”

Trigger warning: One of the following images contains mention of sexual violence.