Women rally worldwide for equality and rights in ‘Day Without a Woman’

Women protested Wednesday around the world for equal rights and in the United States against President Donald Trump, with many Americans skipping work or boycotting stores to demand economic fairness on International Women's Day.

American women seized upon the momentum of the Jan. 21 Women's March on Washington, the day after Trump's inauguration, once again denouncing his policies on abortion and health care.

Dubbed 'A Day Without a Woman” in the United States, the events were modeled in part after February's pro-immigrant demonstrations, the latest in a series of anti-Trump protests since his Nov. 8 election.

By having women, who make up 47 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force, flex their economic muscle, organizers hoped to call attention to the gender pay gap, access to reproductive health services, and Trump's actions that have restricted abortion overseas.

Debra Sands, 37, a middle school teacher, joined thousands of women at New York City's Central Park after her students persuaded her to attend.

'This past year's election made me realize that voting in November isn't enough,” Sands said.

New York police reported 13 arrests in midtown Manhattan.

In San Francisco, where about 1,500 people gathered, Christine Bussenius, 37, said she and her female colleagues at Grey Advertising persuaded their all-male managers to give them the day off and participate in the rally.

'We were nervous,” she admitted. 'But the men stepped up to fill in the void.”

Rallies were held in numerous cities, including Washington, where demonstrators gathered at the Labor Department.

At least three school districts, in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina, closed because of staff shortages.

Nearly 1,000 women converged outside Los Angeles City Hall, many of them critical of the Republican-backed bill that would strip abortion provider Planned Parenthood of funding.

'It's terrifying. It's anti-woman,” said Kassia Krozsur, 53, a finance professional.

Events large and small were held in cities around the world.

Across the Texas border, women in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, painted crosses on lamp posts in solemn remembrance of the hundreds of women who have gone missing or were murdered there in recent years.

In Tbilisi, Georgia, women performed 'Glass Ceiling,” simulating being trapped by the barely visible barrier that stands between women and workplace equality.

They banged drums in Kiev, Ukraine, and played soccer in Nairobi, Kenya.

Not all American women, however, were on board with the call for a women's strike, with some critics citing the vagueness of the movement's aims and the disruption at workplaces.

Trump, whose 11-year-old comments about grabbing and kissing women against their will surfaced during the campaign, took to Twitter early Wednesday to cite International Women's Day and the 'critical role” of women.

'I have tremendous respect for women and the many roles they serve that are vital to the fabric of our society and our economy,” he tweeted.