women's march
People attend a rally for International Women's Day in Los Angeles, California, March 5, 2017. Reuters

Don't feel crazy if your office seems emptier than usual on Wednesday. Women everywhere participating in the "Day Without a Woman" protest were planning to strike for the day, meaning they might be missing from work.

Wednesday's event actually has historical roots dating back to the 1900s. The strike was scheduled to coincide with the United Nations' official International Women's Day, which has been celebrated for more than a century. The first women's day took place in February of 1909 as 15,000 women marched through the streets of New York City in a demonstration aimed at securing higher pay, better working conditions and the right to vote, USA Today reported.

The 2017 version of the event was put on by the same organizers who orchestrated the Women's March, a demonstration that inspired millions of people to hit the streets in cities worldwide in January to protest the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

The main point of the strike Wednesday was to not work and bring down productivity. For those who can't take off work, the organizers have suggested people not shop Wednesday and to wear read in solidarity. There are also rallies planned for New York; San Francisco; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Washington, D.C.; Ann Arbor, Michigan; St. Petersburg, Florida; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Portland, Oregon, according to USA Today.

"We do all of this and get paid less than men, get sexually harassed, get inadequate family leave," spokeswoman Cassady Findlay said to the Associated Press. "We provide all this value and keep the system going, and receive unequal benefits from it."

You can find out more info about all the goings-on at the Women's March site here or check out this complete list of events in the U.S. If you're outside the States, see this list.

The organizers have also put together a handy video with all the ways you can participate in the strike. "It's time to raise our voices once again," the video explained. "For equality, justice and the human rights of all women."

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