Women across the nation, striking Wednesday, to show what "A Day Without a Woman" is like. In Buffalo, it was no exception.
"As a woman-owned business, we thought it was very appropriate for us to be striking today," said Joy Kuebler, who opened up her landscaping business, Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect, 14 years ago.
Kuebler's company had its doors closed Wednesday. Kuebler said its a day to focus on gender equality and the importance of women in the workplace and the economy.
"I had played a little bit with the idea of just giving the ladies in the office off, and decided that really it was important that we have equality across all of our office," said Kuebler.
As she encouraged her employees to participate in Wednesday's strike, other women entrepreneurs celebrate women empowerment a different way.
"While I love the women who are standing for their rights and choosing to strike today, my choice is different," said Lisa Coppola, another woman entrepreneur. "My choice is empowering the clients I have, both men and women, and being of service."
So Coppola was hard at work, at the law firm she opened up two years ago. She said she owes the progress women have made to female activists.
"We certainly have come on the backs and shoulders of the women who have come before us," said Coppola. "There's certainly a ways for us to go."
From one woman entrepreneur to another, the message from each of them is the same.
"We want women to feel empowered," said Susan Morreale, owner of Her Story Boutique on Elmwood Avenue. She feels strongly about this subject, especially being a breast cancer survivor. "We want them to feel strong, we want them to love themselves."
That's why the 'open' sign shines bright outside of her boutique. She wanted to keep it open, to hand out stones, and remind women how important they are to the economy, one another, and the world.
"Today, we're giving away rose quarts, and they're all about inner strength, self-love, honoring and respecting yourself," said Morreale. "Having that self-worth."
