By James Tibbets and Amir Ibrahim, Pendletonian Times
PENDLETON, Ore. — Counter-views and technical issues marred the Pendleton International Women’s Day March, where a group of men believed to be mi
Pendleton International Women’s Day march organizer Vickie Hendricks carries a sign that condemns racism and sexism. (James Tibbets/Pendletonian Times) nors made a scene near the Bowman Professional Building.
“We’re really excited to have the International Women’s Day March here in Pendleton, Oregon. So many people are coming from all over. We have people here from John Day, we have people here from Hermiston, we have people, I don’t know where everyone is from at this point in time but we have people here from La Grande, so we hope to have a big turnout” said Vickie Hendricks, organizer of the event.
Hendricks ascended the steps in front of the Vert Auditorium and began addressing the assembled crowd. “International Women’s Day has been celebrated since the early 1900s. This is not a new thing but it’s still as relevant today as it was then. As you have no doubt seen on the posters, our theme is ‘Unite and Resist.’ So what does that mean? People are always stronger when they unite and find common cause. Our cause today is resisting those things which try to steal our power, those things which diminish women, those things which try to silence women. Not everyone who participates today is a woman but all are here to support women.”
Regina Brocker, a former professor of German at Eastern Oregon University, said: “Guten Tag. Sie hats mich. Für alle Frauen und Mädchen: Rechte, Leichtheit, Ermächtigung. I’m not going to make you repeat that. That, in English, is for all women and girls: rights, equality, empowerment. That’s this year’s slogan for International Women’s Day. I’m going to give you a little bit of that history and connect it with what’s going on in our lives today. Today we are joining millions who are marching today and came before us.
The first International Women’s Day was proposed in 1910 by Clara Zetkin and other women at the International Socialist Women’s Conference who worked for rights, equality and empowerment for women. They brought millions to the streets in Austria-Hungary, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland in March 1911. But that was not the first time women marched. In 1909, the U.S. Women’s Day was started by New York labor activist Theresa Malkiel. And it grew in popularity in following years. These women marched on behalf of improved labor conditions for women, but most importantly for equal rights and vote.
The vote was granted nationally only after the first world war in Russia in 1917, in Germany in 1918, in the United States with the 19th Amendment in 1919. During the years, yes, we should be thankful for that. And we’ve had it for a long time. Over 100 years.
During the years that followed, women marched for equal pay for equal work for the eight hour workday. In the U.S. women celebrating International Women’s Day in 1946 pushed for full economic rights for women.
Many of us aren’t aware that women had no rights to own property, have a bank account or apply for credit in those days or keep a job while pregnant. And only in 1972 was federal law passed to guarantee those rights.
International Women’s Day celebrations in the U.S. had gone dormant during the Red Scare of the 50s and were revived in 1969 and throughout the 70s, as second wave feminism spread across the globe. Women’s groups in the 70s and 80s kept up the struggle for equal pay, equal economic opportunity, equal legal rights, reproductive rights, subsidized child care and the prevention of violence against women.
Today, in 2025, we are aware that hard-won gains are being lost. First, voting rights have undergone change in many states through voter ID laws, which place an added requirement on women who change their name at marriage to have to order a birth certificate to be able to prove where they were born. And now … Republicans in Congress are in the process of passing legislation, the SAVE Act, to impose this on all of us. Second, reproductive rights have already been restricted by the Supreme Court, with birth control options further being restricted in a growing number of states. Third, our neighboring state, Idaho, is losing OBGYNs and health care options are shrinking due to federal budget cuts, which hits women, men, and children. Fourth, there are efforts underway in some states now to reverse or change no-fault divorce laws. Fifth, some Christian nationalist leaders are lobbying for a repeal of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which granted women the right to vote, and replacing it with a household vote, giving husbands the right to vote for their families.”
The march, which began at 1 p.m., was described as impromptu and was not issued a parade permit by the City, according to Brocker. The event attracted a mix of supporters and detractors, with one group of men believed to be minors gathering near the Bowman Professional Building at 17 SW Frazer Avenue to spectate and make a scene.
“Rights; we’ve already got them,” said one speaker, addressing the gathered crowd.
At one point, a woman addressed the crowd, saying “Pay me the same amount and I won’t spend all of your money.” The remark was met with applause from the crowd.
As the event neared its conclusion, the portable speaker that organizers were using to address the crowd lost its battery power but the speakers chose to continue for an additional two minutes.
International Women’s Day is observed on March 8th of each year and has its roots in the early 20th century. According to Hendricks, the first IWD was celebrated in 1911 and originated from the women’s suffrage movement in the United States and Europe. The modern-day celebration of IWD as a day to promote gender equality, justice, and human rights began to take shape in the 1970s. The United Nations adopted March 8th as the international day for women’s rights and dignity in 1975.