International Women’s Day is described by organizers as a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
The day, Wednesday, March 8, also marked a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
International Women’s Day has been observed since 1908, when women became more vocal on issues such as oppression and inequality.
At the time, more than 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights, according to its official website.
The day was not lost in Pahrump, as several women, dressed mainly in red, enjoyed lunch at Ian Deutch Memorial Park.
Local resident Linda Fitzgibbons relied on social media to organize the impromptu gathering.
She sent no less than 40 text messages to friends and associates.
“I have seen postings of all the different things going on around the world in observance of Women’s Day,” Fitzgibbons said. “No one knew of anything so I suggested that we just call up a bunch of friends and have lunch together. This was literally done this morning with text messages and emails as well as Facebook and phone calls. I know a lot of very strong positive women here in town, so we just decided to have lunch together. It literally came together this morning at around 8:30.”
Fitzgibbons made sure to note that Wednesday’s gathering was not meant to be a political statement, nor did it involve any particular organization or agency in the valley.
“I am not the type of person to carry a sign and stand on the street, I’m just not that kind of a person,” she said. “If I had to be, I would but I’m just not. I just thought this would be a very nice way to support the women of Pahrump. It’s not a political statement. Honestly, I am not a political person but I am a supporter of women, obviously.”
Additionally, Fitzgibbons said nationally, organizers were recommending women wear red, not go to work and shop if possible at women-owned stores and shops.
“I knew we would probably not be able to do something like that here, in support of International Women’s Day,” she said. “We just started talking and wondering whether there was anything organized that was going on in Pahrump.”
During their lunch, Fitzgibbons said the group discussed the plight of American women throughout the decades.
“We had some great conversation between the three generations of women that were there,” she said. “Some talked about burning their bras, rallies that they attended in Washington D.C. for the Equal Rights Amendment. The younger women had never heard about a lot of those things and were surprised and thankful for those that paved the way for women today. It was a lot of fun and many laughs were had by all.”
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes