Women's History Month may be drawing to a close, but there is plenty left to celebrate — Monday, March 27 marks the first Muslim Women's Day, a day of celebration and recognition of Muslim women. Throughout the course of the day, MuslimGirl.com is teaming up with websites and social media outlets to elevate the voices of Muslim women everywhere, giving them a platform to share their stories and inspiring others to participate in this day of honoring strong, diverse Muslim women of all different backgrounds.
To kick off the day's celebrations, scheduled Facebook Lives will air on sites like NYLON, Teen Vogue, Refinery29, and Muslim Girl. Dozens of platforms will share articles of Muslim women's stories, which will flood Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even Snapchat, talking about everything from activism to fashion design to ally-ship. Non-Muslim women are encouraged to participate as allies, not just by celebrating Muslim women on this day, but by learning how to be a better ally and what kind of non-digital action they can take far beyond today to amplify and protect the voices of Muslim women.
Muslim Girl kicked the day off by announcing the schedule of Facebook Lives to expect today, along with their powerful tag line, "Muslim Women Talk Back."
The creators of the day emphasize not just the importance of establishing this day, but the timeliness of it — in the wake of the Women's March and A Day Without A Woman, a movement built on a platform of intersectional and inclusive feminism, and also in the wake of Donald Trump's attempts at banning travel from seven Muslim-dominant countries. Never has it been more vital to rally and resist against these kinds of policies — this day serves as yet another imperative reminder that true feminism involves advocating for all women, and the xenophobic stigma often unfairly ascribed to Muslim women is decidedly a feminist issue. The timing is especially fitting for the fifth action of Women's March announced last week, #ReflectAndResist, which encourages women to read and watch media created by women who share a broader range of experiences to make their feminism more understanding and inclusive.
The day is a day to encourage action, but also a day to celebrate Muslim women, the diversity of their experiences, and all of their amazing work and contributions to society. The organizers encourage anyone to participate, in three different ways: sharing today's stories and videos on social media, retweeting and amplifying the voices of Muslim women, and posting a message of solidarity, along with the hashtag #MuslimWomensDay. Head to MuslimGirl.com's post to see the scheduled events for the first Muslim Women's Day, and learn more ways to get involved in this historic event.
