Mark Your Calendars

March 3, 2021: International Sex Workers Rights Day

International Sex Worker Rights Day began in 2001 when over 25,000 sex workers gathered in India for a festival organized by a Calcutta-based group called Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (Unstoppable Women’s Synthesis Committee). In 2002, Durbar invited organizations from around the world to join them in commemorating Sex Worker Rights Day on March 3rd.

Since 2002, sex workers and advocates around the world have organized protests, gatherings, film screenings, art shows, and lectures on and around March 3 to raise awareness about the human rights abuses sex workers face. Sex worker organizing extends across the globe, with efforts aimed at demanding recognition of sex worker autonomy, freedom from criminalization, and legal protection from violence and abuse. Ultimately, March 3rd provides an opportunity to shine a spotlight on sex worker activism, resilience, community, and strength, and away from salaciousness, violations and paternalism.

— SWOP USA

March 8, 2021: International Women’s Strike

Also known as Paro Internacional de Mujeres, the International Women’s Strike is a world-wide movement coordinated between more than 50 countries each year to recognize International Women’s Day (IWD). Last year, DSW’s Ceyenne Doroshow collaborated with the NYC chapter of IWD to coordinate “Our bodies, Our Labor, Our streets!”, celebrating gender and labor justice. 

Though this year the pandemic prevents a gathering of this nature, we are no less committed to honoring this day and the incredible work of female-identifying activists and advocates who fight everyday for a better, safer, and more equitable world. Follow IWD NYC on Facebook for more information.

March 8, 2021: International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8th to recognize the social, economic, and political achievements of women world-wide. For IWD 2021, the global movement has chosen #ChooseToChallenge as this year’s theme. In the last year, we have been forced to confront the critical and ever-growing reality of how interconnected our lives are, even from oceans away. It is our responsibility to confront the persistent injustice, inequity, and violence in the systems that we all participate in.

A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions — all day, every day. We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge.

— IWD 2021

Join this movement on social media this March 8 and submit your #ChooseToChallenge images to show your commitment to “challenge inequality, call out bias, question stereotypes, and help forge an inclusive world.”

Please follow DSW’s social media channels where we’ll post additional information on how to commemorate these dates as it becomes available.