Whether your team is based in the office or working remotely, it is important to embrace company culture and celebrate important milestones and events such as International Women’s Day (IWD). Celebrate International Women’s Day meaningfully by honouring women’s achievement, challenging bias or fundraising for female-focused charities – these are just a few examples of the worthwhile ways to commemorate IWD.
Continue reading to find out more on why we celebrate Women’s Day as well as 8 Ideas for a meaningful Women’s Day celebration in the workplace.
International Women’s Day is an annual event held on the 8th of March to celebrate women’s achievement as well as raise awareness of the ongoing challenges that women face on a daily basis including gender bias, inequality, violence and underrepresentation in various settings.
The day is also used as a platform to call for quicker action to achieve greater gender parity.
IWD originated in the early 1900s during rapid industrialisation when great unrest and critical debates occurred amongst women due to women’s oppression and inequality, which was causing women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change.
Over 100 years later, IWD is celebrated by millions collectively everywhere.
This year’s IWD’s theme is #BreakTheBias, which aims to bring to the table current inequality, bias and discrimination issues that women face in the world today. By raising awareness and having meaningful discussions of the common stereotypes, conscious and unconscious biases that women have to tackle, we can promote a more inclusive and equitable world.
When it comes to organising activities for Women’s Day, it is important to understand your ‘why’ – what are you trying to achieve by celebrating International Women’s Day 2022?
To inspire you, we have prepared 8 ideas for your team to meaningfully commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD).
A thought-provoking activity you can put on for your team this IWD is inviting a speaker. Whether they are an author, activist, historian or educator, there are many topics they could shine a light on during your Women’s Day celebration.
For instance, DPGLearn reports that period stigma continues to affect women and trans men in the United Kingdom and around the world. According to the article, 60% of respondents feel unable to discuss menstruation at all with their colleagues or managers, with another 57% saying they have had to lie to their respected line managers about why they needed a sick day.
By inviting a speaker to your virtual or office-based Women’s Day celebration, your team can take the time to challenge the taboo around menstruation or any other topic, therefore, building a more inclusive and conscious workforce.
Find your guest speaker by reaching out to authors, activists, historians or educators. Take a look at the IWD database of speakers for your Women’s Day celebration in the workplace.
Another meaningful way to commemorate Women’s day is to volunteer your time and/or money to a local women’s charity. For inspiration, we have prepared a list of UK-based Women’s charities to help you find an organisation tailored to your team’s values and motivations.
UK-based Women’s Charities:
Treat your team members to a wellness-based session. Yoga, guided meditation, pilates, breathing coach or mindfulness sessions – all could boost your team’s wellbeing as well as equip them with new techniques that help to manage stress and workplace anxiety.
Graph source: Culture AMP
According to an article published by Culture Amp, only 4 in 10 women are satisfied by how decisions are made within their company, compared to 7 in 10 men. A similar trend can be seen amongst female respondents when it comes to voicing their perspective, with only half (54%) saying that their views are included in the company’s decision-making process.
Make a real difference to your team’s confidence and inclusivity by organising a confidence workshop. There are many qualified instructors that could empower your team and give them a practical toolset to use when they need to express their opinions, including Kirsty Hulse from Roar Training. If your team is working remotely, but you’d prefer to hold the confidence workshop in person, book a meeting room with us!
Listening is key 🔑 to implementing change. Only then, you can start to create a powerful narrative to build upon – a narrative to inspiring and empowering others. Have courage in forging a #gender equal world #BreakTheBias #qotd #change #bethechange pic.twitter.com/56fw9pXolJ
— Women's Day (@womensday) January 6, 2022
Another substantial way to celebrate International Women’s Day is to hold an open and honest discussion amongst your team on how your company could work to empower women in day to day situations. Whether it is by holding a discussion in smaller groups or company-wide, make sure everyone feels heard and empowered to share their opinions and concerns.
A fantastic way to celebrate the IWD is by immersing yourself in a TED talk given by some of the most remarkable women in the world. Get some popcorn and buckle up for an inspiring afternoon filled with fascinating women!
VHQ Team’s favourite talks include:
For an extra boost of female empowerment, take a look at the fascinating IWD videos from all over the world by female entrepreneurs, creatives and more. Feeling creative? Submit your own International Women’s Day 2022 video here.
Celebrate fantastic women within your own company by showing recognition for their work this Women’s Day. Commemorate their efforts in a team meeting or even put on an awards ceremony with different categories depending on your business type and values.
Rather than organising a Women’s Day event yourself, you can always get involved in some of the existing events going on around the country? Have a look at the various online and in-person IWD events happening around you using the IWD event finder tool.
Support your IWD goals by sending out an email newsletter to clearly communicate everything that went on during the Women’s Day celebration, any important links to charities and useful resources, as well as the goals that you will work towards for the rest of the year.
Remember, the Women’s Day celebrations in the office should be just a small part of your initiatives that ensure equality, diversity and inclusion in the team.
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