11 International Women’s Day Celebration Ideas for Your Office

Nikolette Sirawsky

International Women’s Day takes place across the globe on March 8th of each year in order to observe the history of women’s rights and struggles and to promote gender equality in the workplace. In addition to this holiday, the month of March is Women’s History Month, and the perfect time to celebrate women’s empowerment at work (even in a virtual setting). Check out these eleven ideas.

Expressing Gratitude

The simple expression of gratitude for efforts made by women in the workplace is a worthwhile activity to partake in for International Women’s Day. To participate, have employees write cards, emails, or verbally express their thanks to a colleague who helped make the office environment more collaborative and inclusive.

Donations to Charity

Raising funds and donating them to a worthy organization that benefits women is a great way to spread your International Women’s Day celebration to others. Whether you’re looking to help improve women’s access to education across the globe, enhance healthcare efforts, or provide business resources, there are plenty of organizations to support such as:

  • National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
  • The Malala Fund
  • UN Women
  • Women for Women Intl.

Educational Opportunities by Women Leaders

Bringing in a female leader to educate your department is a great idea. Whether hosting a workshop, sharing professional struggles, or ensuring that your team develops a new skill, International Women’s Day is an opportunity to further develop female leaders.

Book Club

Hosting a book club to cover books written by women leaders is worth considering to promote the sharing of ideas among your colleagues. Try choosing books that highlight the struggles of women in the workplace and strategies to creating a more equitable environment:

Books to cover might include:

  1. “The Confidence Code” by Katty Kay & Claire Shipman
  2. “Lead from the Outside” by Stacey Abrams
  3. “She Thinks Like a Boss: Leadership” by Jemma Roedel
  4. “That’s What She Said” by Joanne Lipman

Trivia

A women’s history trivia game is a fun way to provide learning opportunities celebrate this international holiday. Trivia can take the form of short quizzes, round-based card games, and other guessing games that focus on women throughout history.

Bingo

Bingo has always been a fun game, and because it’s versatile, implementing a Women’s History theme should be easy. You could design the board to feature prominent women in history or leadership characteristics that players can check off when they speak with a female coworker who possesses that characteristic.

Office Party

Whether you operate in a physical office or a virtual one, an office party is an exceptional way to celebrate International Women’s Day. Each setting will call for slightly different organization techniques, but an hour set aside from work processes for fun and enjoyment will benefit everyone on your team.

Awards Ceremony

A simple award ceremony can promote recognition for accomplishments and efforts made by women in your office. Schedule a small event and come up with a few award categories you can use to highlight the hard work and dedication your colleagues have shown throughout the past year.

Categories might include:

  • Most Exceptional Leadership
  • Best Team Player
  • Dedication to Learning Opportunities
  • Mentorship Efforts
  • Willingness to Help Others

Blogging

Writing, editing, and publishing blog posts to highlight the importance of International Women’s Day is a useful team activity, and the result can be shared with your professional audience.

Topics to cover might include the following:

  • Posts about notable women in your office
  • Staff picks of inspirational quotes, poems, or lyrics by famous women
  • A brief historical overview of International Women’s Day
  • Writing about a small business run by women leaders in your area
  • Information about organizations and nonprofits designed to empower women

Women’s History

Covering the history that went into the creation of International Women’s Day is practically a must when it comes to celebrating on March 8th. Setting up a history lesson covering the key components of women’s struggles throughout history not only honors those who worked to bring the holiday to fruition, but also provides opportunities for staff members to learn something new.

Story Swap

Swapping personal experience stories between colleagues can help highlight adversities that women leaders have overcome when progressing in the business world. The content of a storytelling session can include practically any lifetime highlight that influenced the path successful women in your office have taken.

Any one of these activities (or a combination of them) are smart, fun ways to embrace the special day established to celebrate women’s empowerment and leadership.