Celebrating International Women's Day at Work

Everyone at your company should feel seen and supported, and International Women’s Day on March 8th is a great opportunity to celebrate the women at your work and ensure they know they’re valued. It’s the perfect time to bring to light the achievements of women and make greater progress toward gender equality.

To start off with some inspiration, let’s look at some of the most influential women of the 21st century:

Malala Yousafzai

As an activist for female education, Malala Yousafzai has faced much backlash—when she was 12, she was shot for speaking out against the local Taliban in Pakistan after they denied girls from attending school. She survived and continued advocating for education for women. At the age of 17, Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize for her continual efforts. 

Michelle Obama

As the first Black woman to hold the role of First Lady, Michelle Obama has been inspirational to many around the nation and globe. But it isn’t just her position that’s inspirational; she’s advocated for the health and wellness of children, students, and veterans through her Let’s Move! program, Reach Higher Initiative, and Joining Forces program. Her Let Girls Learn program supports girls education around the world.

Linda Cruse

Linda Cruse has spent the last 20+ years of her life advocating and supporting people suffering from natural disasters, wars, and disease. She has dedicated her life to helping leaders and students find ways to support communities in need through motivational speeches and volunteering on the frontlines.

There are so many amazing women doing amazing things in the world, and this is just a tiny sample. Now let’s look at how we can celebrate the women in our lives on International Women’s Day at work.

6 Ways to Celebrate International Women’s Day at Work

1. Hire an Inspirational Speaker

There are plenty of inspirational women who work as motivational speakers. Hire one to drop in for a short time during a company meeting. This is a great way to inspire your people and instill confidence in the women at your company.

2. Hold a Networking Event

Host a women-led networking event that helps the women in your company get to know each other, build connections, and lift each other up. Seeing, interacting with, and strengthening other women in the workforce can help make your employees feel comfortable and valued.

3. Invest in a Women’s Employee Resource Group

An employee-led Employee Resource Group (ERG) is a great way to provide people with a safe, supportive place at work. And a women’s ERG is perfect to provide women with mental health support, personal growth, and connections from other women in the company. Your Women’s ERG can also help you plan for your International Women’s Day celebrations!

4. Support Women-Owned Businesses

Want to provide food, snacks, or other goodies during your International Women’s Day celebration? Look to support women even more by buying from women-owned businesses. There are amazing local and national companies you can find that exemplify strong women, so support them with your business!

5. Hold a Fundraiser

There are plenty of charities that help women or other marginalized groups who need help. Let your employees donate to these charities during International Women’s Day, and match their contributions with your own. This will reinforce your support and strengthen your company values.

6. Use Employee Recognition

You have amazing women who work at your company—use this opportunity to recognize them for all that they do! Find a way to recognize all of the women at your company so that those who may not normally be in the spotlight feel the love, too.

Make International Women’s Day Something Special

With these ideas, we hope your office will show the support and appreciation that the amazing women at your company deserve during International Women’s Day and throughout the year.