4 ways to celebrate International Women's Day at work
Trying to think of ways to celebrate International Women’s Day at work? Here are 4 ideas to get you started:
International Women's Day on 8th March is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the women you work with and get involved in forging women's equality in the workplace. It’s a time to come together (virtually or physically) and amplify your organisation's commitment to workplace equality, and be inspired by the trailblazers who got us where we are today.
As a business founded and run by women, it’s fair to say we’re passionate about equality and gender parity at work as well as in wider society. We’re proud to be a female-led business and to work with so many incredible women, from our landlord at Empire Arches to our all-female bakery team.
We’ve come a long way since 1918 when some (not all) women in the UK got the vote, but the gender imbalance still exists. International Women’s Day gives us the chance to celebrate our wins, discuss the biases we face and inspire each other.
Whether you’re ready to don a purple suffragette sash, or want to toast your female colleagues, here are our top 4 ways to celebrate International Women’s Day at work in 2024:
Fundraise for a female focussed charity
Charities were hit particularly hard during the pandemic and are still recovering. Now is a great time to do what you can for those that need it. Host a virtual pub quiz, do a whip around or try something sporty to raise money for a female focussed charity.
At CakeDrop this year, we’re supporting Pregnant Then Screwed, a not-for-profit that advocates for pregnant women and working mothers in the UK. We’re doing this by making a donation from every sale of our special edition International Women’s Day treats to this fantastic organisation.
Inspirational Storytime
Ask everyone to research one incredible woman who has inspired them. Get the gang together online or in-person to share their stories. You could even make an entire week of it and turn them into lunch and learns. Why not order the team some International Women’s Day themed treats to tuck into during the sessions?
If you can't find internal volunteers to lead sessions, consider booking a speaker to host an event for your team. It could be someone related to your business, a woman who’s a pioneer in gender equality or someone with an inspiring story to tell. Invite them to host a talk or workshop with your team. Great stories lift each other up and drive progression forward.
Host a female-focused book club
To celebrate International Women’s Day at work this year, why not start a new book club? You could select a piece of contemporary fiction or tackle the subject through non-fiction. Either way, it'll help spark conversation and better understand the struggles and experiences of other women. Great books have the power to inspire, empower and challenge. Let’s get the team talking.
Choose to Challenge
Perhaps you’ve noticed something in the office that’s a little off-balance – create a space to challenge it. Use IWD to have an open conversation about doing things differently. Your team might have a great suggestion to address gender parity or an idea to help non-binary staff feel included. Open the floor to progressive discussion and let everyone feel heard. Outline how these issues will be tackled after the session to move change forward.
Remember: International Women’s Day is a celebration of equity and inclusion. Approach it with the same energy and positivity that you do for parties and successes at work, making it inclusive not divisive. And if you’d like to sweeten up the festivities with some crowd-pleasing International Women’s Day treats, you are in good hands. Our very own female-founded business has a range of International Women’s Day themed goodies guaranteed to get everyone involved. And with every sale from this collection we’ll be making a donation to Pregnant The Screwed.