PHILADELPHIA -- Many American women stayed home from work, joined rallies or wore red Wednesday to demonstrate how vital they are to the U.S. economy, as International Women's Day was observed with a multitude of events around the world.
The Day Without a Woman protest in the U.S. was put together by organizers of the vast women's marches that drew more than 1 million Americans the day after President Donald Trump's inauguration.
The turnout on the streets this time was much smaller in many places, with crowds often numbering in the hundreds. There were no immediate estimates of how many women heeded the call to skip work.
The U.S. event -- inspired in part by the Day Without an Immigrant protest held last month -- was part of the United Nations-designated International Women's Day.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking in Nairobi where he was on an official visit, said the most effective way to protect the rights of women is by prioritizing the empowerment of women, calling for the "full presence of women" in government institutions, political systems and business, among other aspects of society.
In Warsaw, thousands of women showed Poland's conservative government red cards and made noise with kitchenware to demand full birth control rights, respect and higher pay.
In Rome, hundreds of women marched from the Colosseum to demand equal rights. Thousands marched in Istanbul, despite restrictions on demonstrations imposed since last year's failed coup. Turkish police did not interfere.
Women also held rallies in Tokyo and Madrid.
Germany's Lufthansa airline arranged for six all-female crews to fly into Berlin. Sweden's women's soccer team replaced the names on the backs of the players' jerseys with tweets from Swedish women. Finland announced a new $160,000 International Gender Equality Prize.
About 1,000 people, the vast majority of them women, gathered on New York's Fifth Avenue in the shadow of Trump Tower. Women wore red and waved signs reading "Nevertheless she persisted," "Misogyny out of the White House now" and "Resist like a girl."
In Washington, more than 20 Democratic female representatives walked out of the Capitol to address a cheering crowd of several hundred people.
Dressed in red, the lawmakers criticized efforts to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and to eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi encouraged more women to go into politics, saying, "You have marched for progress. Now you must run for office."
In Denver, several hundred people marched silently around the state Capitol. Kelly Warren took along her daughters, ages 3 and 12.
"We wanted to represent every marginalized woman whose voice doesn't count as much as a man's," said Warren, a sales associate in the male-dominated construction industry.
In New York, a statue of a fearless-looking girl was placed in front of Wall Street's famous charging bull sculpture. The girl appeared to be staring down the animal. A plaque at her feet read: "Know the power of women in leadership. SHE makes a difference."
As part of the Day Without a Woman protest, women were also urged to refrain from shopping.
Some criticized the strike, warning that many women cannot afford to miss work or find child care. Organizers asked those unable to skip work to wear red in solidarity.
Monique LaFonta Leone, a 33-year-old health care consultant in Colorado Springs, Colo., had to work but put on a red shirt and donated to charity, including Planned Parenthood.
"I have bills to pay, but I wanted to make my voice heard, no matter how quiet," she said. "I also wanted to make a statement to say that women are doing it for themselves. We're out here in the workforce and making a difference every day."
President Trump took to Twitter to salute "the critical role of women" in the U.S. and around the world. He tweeted that he has "tremendous respect for women and the many roles they serve that are vital to the fabric of our society and our economy."
First lady Melania Trump marked the day by hosting a luncheon at the White House for about 50 women.
Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said none of the White House's female staff members skipped work in support of International Women's Day.
Information for this article was contributed by Phuong Le, Mike Householder, Michelle Smith, William Mathis, Nick Riccardi and Kevin Freking of The Associated Press.
A Section on 03/09/2017