For over 100 years, International Women’s Day has signposted the way for celebrating women's achievements and enabling positive change around women's rights and equality.
Held yearly on the 8th of March, this year's theme is inspiring inclusion. Celebrating International Women's Day isn't just about recognizing the achievements and contributions of women around the world; it's also about taking meaningful steps towards creating a more inclusive society.
This theme invites us to explore creative and thoughtful ways to promote gender equality and empower women in all spheres of life. Whether through hosting events, participating in discussions, or engaging in community activities, there are endless possibilities to contribute to this global movement. Let's dive into some innovative ideas to inspire inclusion and celebrate the essence of International Women's Day in 2024.
1. Bring your team together
Run a coffee morning
Bring the whole office into the conversation and spend an hour or so away from your emails. Run a coffee morning where you discuss feminist icons in history, and your favourite books around gender equality, or even just come together for a chat around gender equality and share your personal experiences. You could even send out some goodies to accompany the celebrations, whether that's cupcakes or cocktails or anything in between.
With this year's theme around inspiring inclusivity, why not discuss what else you, as an individual, or your organisation could be doing to ensure the needs, interests and aspirations of women and girls are valued and included.
Find a venue for your IWD event
Recognise their achievements
Run a session where you focus on each of the women on your team and highlight their personal and professional achievements. Sharing insights on what we've faced, and what we've accomplished in spite of it, will help all those that follow to learn from their peers.
Have some fun as a team
You could also celebrate IWD by taking part in a relaxed social team activity such as a meditation workshop, puppy yoga, or even a fun teambuilding activity like Sip and Paint. Hire Space recently ran a Sip and Paint evening and it was a great way to let our hair down and bond as a team.
Browse our full range of suppliers to get some ideas flowing
2. Attend a community event
One of the best ways to get involved and make positive change is to listen to other women's stories, experiences and insights about the world we live in and how we can move forward towards a more inclusive society. There are plenty of virtual events taking place around the world, as well as in-person get-togethers in local communities too. The IWD website posts lots of these events; find your local event here.
3. Show your support on social
Show solidarity for all women with the #InspireInclusion pose on social media. When we truly value difference, inclusion comes from the heart. Comment, share, like, discuss and learn from women (and men) all over the world joining the celebration. Share your favourite books, podcasts, playlists or blogs around gender equality, get the conversation going and learn from each other.
The International Women's Day organisation have created some great resources you can use on your channels, which you just download and make your own with quotes, pictures, logos or whatever you like. You can access the free resources here. You could also download their #InspireInclusion Pledge Cards, which will help start conversations and promote action, and join the selfie movement by taking a photo doing the IWD pose.
4. Fundraise for a female-focused charity or organisation
Set your team a challenge on IWD to begin actively fundraising for female-focused charities across the world. You could choose 1 charity per quarter and run fundraising events and activities to support that charity such as sponsored runs, charity galas, talent shows, coffee mornings, raffles etc. Suggestions of charities include Women for Women International, Imkaan or Care International, but there are some incredible charities you could fundraise for all over the world, so do some research and brainstorm how your team could join in.
Need to draft in the experts?
If you need some guidance on running an IWD event, whether that's virtual, hybrid, or in-person, we're always happy to help, so just shout! Get in touch to see how we can help.
5. Tell the women in your life you love them!
Colleagues, friends, sisters, aunties, mums, grandmothers, daughters, cousins... whoever they are, tell them you appreciate them! This day is all about celebrating each other and building each other up, so tell the women in your life how proud you are to know them, and let's spread some love.
Here's to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them. - Ada Lovelace
6. Run an IWD movie evening
Invite the women in your life for an evening of snacks, drinks, and a relevant film or documentary around strong women, gender issues, or even just a film directed by a woman. The idea is to get you thinking and learning about gender inequality whilst enjoying some downtime and having some fun with your colleagues or friends. Some suggestions are 'Hidden Figures', 'Hooligan Sparrow' or 'On The Basis Of Sex'. Get in touch with our event experts if you'd like some guidance on running your event.
7. Ask your CEO to submit an Influencer Statement
Executive leaders, CEOs and Chairpersons are all key figures in helping to drive positive change and creating more inclusive workplaces. Ask your CEO to submit an IWD Influencer Statement to demonstrate they stand in support and that they are committed to ensuring your workplace is constantly improving. You can read some examples here.
8. Bring men into the conversation
Feminism all too often gets a bad reputation, but the fact of the matter is that feminism is simply about making women equal to men. Nothing more, nothing less. Men are an important part of this goal, and it's important to bring them on board so they can help mould attitudes and enforce positive change along the way. Involve men in your IWD celebrations and share with them the positive impact feminism can have, so that you're all singing from the same hymn sheet and not creating any gender separation in your team.
9. Review your D&I policies
It's great to celebrate on the day, but it's important to keep the bigger picture in mind and take steps towards positive long-term change in your organisations and industries. Review your internal policies to ensure women are fairly represented across the board, whether that's reviewing senior leadership positions or equal pay structures.
You can read more about breaking the bias in the events industry in an article we wrote with Lauralee Whyte for IWD 2021, and learn more about promoting inclusion in the events industry in an article we wrote with Caitlin Kobrak from Event First Steps. For some insight into traditionally male-dominated industries promoting and supporting women in certain roles, read the piece we've written ahead of this year's IWD on women in tech roles. We interviewed Gemma Edgar from the career advice site Women In Tech and shone a spotlight on 5 women in tech-focused roles within the events industry.
10. Support Women-Owned Businesses
Supporting Women-Owned Businesses is a meaningful way to celebrate International Women's Day, directly contributing to gender equality and economic empowerment. By choosing to patronize or collaborate with businesses led by women, companies can make a tangible impact on reducing the gender gap in entrepreneurship. This initiative not only acknowledges the significant achievements of women entrepreneurs but also helps in fostering a more inclusive economy. Businesses can promote these entities through social media, partner for events, and prioritize them in their supply chains, showcasing a commitment to diversity and inclusion. This gesture of support can inspire further growth and innovation, highlighting the importance of women's roles in business and leadership.
Happy IWD, ladies! You deserve it. If you’re interested in finding out more or want to start planning your International Women’s Day celebration, book a free consultation to get started.
Celebrate International Women's Day
We are always bursting with ideas on how to celebrate important occasions like IWD, so chat to us to see how we can help
Author
Kim Meier
Highly experienced in delivering in-person and virtual events of all kinds, Kim brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the events world to Hire Space as the Marketing Manager.
