Every day is a great day to celebrate women.
But on 8 March, the world makes it official with International Women’s Day (IWD). Are you and your organisation ready for the festivities?
As you plan out your event, remember that inclusion is key in all aspects of life, from the workplace to sports to politics. Embracing gender equity means giving women what they need to be successful in all facets of their lives.
To craft International Womens Day event ideas in line with this theme, we’ve provided 16 pro tips and ideas to celebrate in meaningful ways. We hope these will motivate you to organise your own unique functions — on International Women’s Day and beyond.
International Women’s Day event ideas to celebrate on 8 March
Discussion and speaker ideas for International Women’s Day
Activity ideas for International Women’s Day
Theme and topic ideas for International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day background and key statistics
Since 1911, International Women’s Day has celebrated the achievements and strength of women worldwide. Since then, society has taken many important steps towards giving women the rights and respect they deserve. But unfortunately, we are still very far from true gender equality.
One obvious and measurable metric of inequality is in the workplace:
- In 2023, median earnings for women were 14.3% less than men’s.
- Women in leadership are also not adequately represented — recent data shows that only 11% of FTSE companies have a female CEO.
Companies and organisations are taking steps to improve conditions for women in the workplace, for instance, by signing the Equality Act 2010. Gender equality benefits organisations, too — data shows that diverse teams make better decisions 87% of the time, and inclusive teams are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their industry mean.
While much progress has been made, we still have lots of work to do. These International Women’s Day event ideas can help you plan a memorable and meaningful way to inspire inclusion.
International Women’s Day event ideas to celebrate on March 8
Celebrate International Women’s Day this year by planning an event that inspires and promotes change. Here are 16 great IWD event ideas and activities to get you started.
Discussion and speaker ideas for International Women’s Day
These ideas can prompt insightful conversations and insights at your next event.
1. Host a panel where experts and thought leaders discuss bias
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If you’re planning a corporate event, have panellists discuss an important topic like gender equity in the workplace. Now more than ever, organisations need to have frank conversations about how bias impacts their employees.
Make sure to have a panel moderator on site to make the most of your event. You’ll want to have two–four (or more) experts or thought leaders for your panel. Then, you’ll want to choose a central theme, like a hot topic that’s affecting women right now, to discuss. Another option is to have a roundtable discussion, which could involve more community participation.
2. Host a Q&A with a group of change-making women
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Bring together a group of successful and innovative women to discuss embracing equity in all aspects of women’s lives. Organise a Q&A session for employees or event attendees to engage with the speakers.
Start with a topic of discussion (or several!). It could be centred on a specific challenge women face or a particular activist theme, like the fight for equal pay.
Make sure to choose expert speakers for your session. Activists, professional speakers, and powerful women from all walks of life could be a great fit.
Doing it well ✨ Clarity Leadership Ltd, a London-based leadership development organisation, focused on empowering women in leadership and executive positions. Their IWD conference features discussions on female leadership, gender equality, and the creation of an inclusive and more gender-equal world.
3. Open the floor for feedback, stories, and transparency
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Creating a safe space for women to share their experiences can be powerful and cathartic. For event organisers, an open mic format event can encourage community engagement.
For workplaces, this could also be an opportunity to collect valuable feedback from women in the organisation. By providing an anonymous way for employees to share their experiences as women in their organisation, you can empower them to speak their minds — and also collect valuable data to inspire change.
4. Organise an author reading with women writers
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A lack of gender equity also exists in the publishing world. The OECD International Survey of Scientific Authors indicates that women authors are underrepresented in scientific articles and underpaid, earning 5% to 6% less than their male counterparts. The same is true for novels and books written by women authors, which are, on average, 45% cheaper to purchase than those penned by men.
This International Women’s Day, bring women writers together to celebrate their achievements. You could also host this as an online Women’s Day event, connecting with a well-known author to host a live stream.
Whether in-person or live-streamed, hosting a reading allows your audience to hear great women writers read their latest work. Consider setting up a Q&A with the author or pose questions regarding issues in publishing, such as bias, racism, and representation.
Activity ideas for International Women’s Day
These ideas can get attendees involved with fun, engaging, and meaningful activities at your next event.
5. Host a fun brunch to celebrate women
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Another fun International Women’s Day event idea is to host a brunch. This could be simply a fun get-together to help attendees relax and celebrate women or it could be more on-theme and purposeful for IWD.
For instance, the event could double as a fundraiser for a women-focused non-profit organisation. Or it could be used as a platform for women speakers to share insights with attendees.
Doing it well ✨ Elif Köse Transformational Confidence Coach hosted a networking lunch celebrating the hard-working women of Hove. They invited inspirational speakers and DJs to liven up their Mediterranean feast and gave the women plenty of opportunities to network and make new connections.
6. Celebrate women with a self-care event
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Honour the women in your life by planning a women’s social event for them to rest and relax. Reach out to spas with group event packages and local yoga and meditation practitioners. Or send your loved ones to a relaxing retreat!
Remember that self-care looks different to everyone. Make sure to provide plenty of different options for guests to unwind. Having both solo and group options is a good place to start.
7. Give back to your community
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Interested in raising funds for women’s rights through your event? There are many great organisations to support: use a tool like Work For Good or Neighbourly to explore.
To give back with a more hands-on approach, research local women’s shelters and volunteer your time or find out what donations they need the most.
Consider hosting a donation drive alongside your event. Women’s shelters often look for essentials like feminine products, deodorant, shampoo, and conditioner. Monetary donations (or a percentage of ticket sales) can go a long way, too. Organisations can also offer to match employee donations to increase the impact.
Doing it well ✨ Antoinette Dale Henderson in London hosted an International Women’s Day networking event and fundraiser. Guests enjoyed drinks and nibbles while listening to a panel of experts talk on why inclusion is important in all aspects of women’s lives. 100% of ticket sales went to their charity partners, Women for Refugee Women and White Ribbon, a charity that engages men to end violence against women.
8. Plan a workshop to incite change
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According to the UN Refugee Agency, grassroots organisations are important for innovation. Inspire your attendees to participate in local efforts and organisations that support women.
Workshops at events centred around a theme can be a powerful way to celebrate International Women’s Day. It could be a workshop to help attendees take action in their own lives, spark political change, or influence their communities. Try to incorporate as many interactive activities as possible into your event.
9. Host a fun run, yoga gathering, or other fun fitness event
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Get people moving this International Women’s Day with an active event.
A 5k race is a common distance to allow people the option to run, jog, or walk. But alternatives like a yoga gathering or even a community dance event can also be a lot of fun!
To tie the theme to IWD, consider donating a portion of ticket sales to a women’s charity. You may also be able to get a sponsor for your event to cover event costs, which can help increase the impact of your charitable efforts.
Doing it well ✨ Holistic Wellness Health & Running with Richelle hosted a run with 3, 5, and 8km options to celebrate International Women’s Day. The fun run was coupled with a series of presentations on common women’s health topics.
10. Get the children involved
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For family-friendly or school-age-appropriate events, keep kids interested with activities for their age group. When you’re marketing family-friendly events, it’s the parents who you focus on. But once the kids are at the event, they’re the ones you’ll need to wow.
Keep things interactive with a topical game such as Bingo designed around influential women in science or literature or read books that promote women’s strength and independence to young children.
Give kids the opportunity to talk about what they know about International Women’s Day and the ways they may have experienced gender bias.
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11. Put together a showcase or concert featuring works by women
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Spotlight creative women’s artistic achievements with a concert or art show. Consider different ideas for social events that entertain and highlight women artists.
Why not curate the art you’re showcasing according to a theme that fits your event’s mission or International Women’s Day goals?
Even better, weave in information about how women artists have been marginalised due to bias so attendees understand the importance of uplifting women’s voices.
Theme and topic ideas for International Women’s Day
These event themes and discussion topic ideas can help you focus your event plan on the elements most important to women — and your audience.
12. Highlight intersectionality
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Many challenges that women face share some overlap with other important global issues, like systemic racism and climate change. Intersectionality explores how someone’s layers of identity affect their experience. By exploring it, you can highlight how women’s issues are connected to the other social challenges of today.
Explore the intersectionality of women’s empowerment with the fight to increase diversity, drive sustainability, and effect change in our political or corporate systems.
Doing it well ✨Black History Walking Tours Edinburgh organised a IWD Edition Black History Walk to highlight the little-known stories of Edinburgh’s residents of African, African American, and Caribbean heritage from the 16th century to the present day. It allowed attendees a glimpse of the role Edinburgh played in the Transatlantic Slave System.
13. Share creative and inspiring media from female creators
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Women are underrepresented in most forms of media. One 20-year study found that women comprise only 24% of the people we read about, see, or hear from on the television and radio and in the newspapers. Female creators are also underrepresented — and underpaid, in many cases.
This International Women’s Day event idea might help turn the tide. Consider putting together an event or workshop that features women creators (ideally telling women-focused tales!) Here are some ideas to get you started.
Film/TV:
- I Am Greta
- Period. End of Sentence.
- He Named Me Malala
Books:
- Women & Power by Mary Beard
- Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
- Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics by Bell Hooks
Podcasts:
To incorporate these media into a themed event, you could host an interactive “book club”-style get-together. Participants could discuss the media or even watch/listen to it together.
14. Highlight women in your industry
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Featuring successful women in your industry can inspire a number of International Women’s Day event ideas at work or elsewhere.
Use this opportunity to get inspired by women who laid the groundwork in your industry. Plan a corporate International Women’s Day event where attendees dive into women’s contributions to the field.
You can host a presentation highlighting the achievements of women in your industry (or your organisation). Or, host a discussion on the topic, and invite people to nominate attendees for recognition of their own achievements.
Incorporate International Women’s Day history to educate attendees about the day. Keep it close to home by inviting women in your company to share their experiences and serve as role models.
Doing it well ✨Women in Tech Forum hosted an evening of networking and panel discussions celebrating the successes of trailblazing women in tech. Speakers shared the highs and lows of their careers and gave advice for building a successful career in the tech industry.
15. Provide time to appreciate the women in your life
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An event where attendees can collectively celebrate and appreciate women can be very powerful. Consider a group activity with the goal of helping attendees carve out the time to do something kind for the women in their lives.
Maybe you set aside time for attendees to write thank-you notes, or to call loved ones. Or you can get everyone involved with a craft or baking project to make something special to celebrate the women who’ve influenced them the most.
16. Partner with and support women-owned small businesses
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Celebrate female entrepreneurship this International Women’s Day.
This is a great opportunity to organise a career or business fair to help your women connect with women-led businesses to create job or partnership opportunities.
Don’t let it stop at IWD. When you hire vendors for your next event, make it a priority to support women-owned businesses. You can make it an initiative to seek out long-term partnerships with women-owned local companies.
Doing it well ✨ The Small Business Research + Enterprise Centre hosted its International Women’s Day event with a focus on small and medium business owners. The event featured women-owned businesses, and showcased how women can develop by supporting one another.
Plan an exciting and meaningful event for International Women’s Day
Celebrating International Women’s Day isn’t about giving empty accolades to women. It’s about raising awareness around important issues and celebrating the women who make our world great. These International Women’s Day event ideas can help you put together a truly impactful and engaging event this year.
To plan and host the best event possible, make sure you have the right tools in your arsenal. Eventbrite is the leading event platform where organisers plan, post, and market successful events all over the world.
