The Women’s March on Washington last week had an impact on communities, businesses, and households across the nation with women leaving behind their usual duties to take part in the historic event.The absence of the marchers from their regular roles in the business world  was felt all across the country, as well as in private homes, where someone had to step in, sometimes a dad or another relative, to get the kids off to soccer practice, birthday parties or other events of the day.

Most of us never stop to think what it means when women aren’t available to do the tasks we take for granted, which is why events like the Women’s March focus attention on the vital role women play in our society.

Many years ago, we think it was 1975, the National Organization for Women decided the country needed an Alice Doesn’t Day, when women would stay home from work and remind everyone of their role in the business world. It focused attention on many aspects of our everyday lives in which women play a key part.   

At our newspaper office, there were only two males on staff; the rest were women. As it turned out, the special observance fell on a Wednesday, the day when we were responsible for producing our weekly issue. We all got together and produced a large poster which we hung in the front office. It read, in part, “In observance of Alice Doesn’t Day, the following employees will not be at work’’ and we all signed it.We didn’t mean it, of course, but we were all keenly aware of the impact it would have had if indeed we had taken the day off. Our publisher, Dan DeRepentigny, had a few choice words to say when he saw the poster, but knew instantly that we weren’t serious.

That was not the case throughout much of the country, however. Airline stewardesses, bus drivers, teachers, government workers, secretaries and thousands of others called in sick. It had quite an impact, and the organizers were satisfied that their message had been heard, loud and clear.

Things have changed a lot since the 1970s, and women now play a key role in nearly every business in the world. They’ve earned the respect of their fellow male workers and in many cases, now call the shots themselves. What will another 40 or 50 years bring?