Education

Schools Closed For ‘Day Without A Woman’ Protests Affecting Parents of Young Children

(REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

Kyle Morel Contributor
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While International Women’s Day has earned many supporters around the world, some parents aren’t happy with schools closing because of the related “Day Without A Woman” protest.

Districts across the United States have canceled classes because of teachers who are participating in the protests, in which female employees stay home for the day to show the importance of women in the workplace. This has caused problems for working parents, many of whom had to scramble to make arrangements for someone to look after their children.

According to WTOP, Alexandria, Va. schools were forced to close after more than 300 faculty members called out of work, most likely due to the protest. Prince George’s County schools in Maryland closed as well, posting a statement on Facebook Tuesday.

The decisions upset some users, who felt the closures were unfair to working families with young children.

“What about the women and mothers who have hourly jobs and will now have to either take a day without pay OR go to work and worry about their children who may be home alone?” wrote one person on the Alexandria district’s page.  “This is not worth the effect it will have on kids and stress to those families who have to choose between getting paid or taking care of their kids.”

Another user quoted in a CNN article called the Prince George’s County cancellation “infuriating and uncalled for,” adding, “Who gets punished here? The students. Especially those students who rely on the schools for food during the day.”