March 8 is International Women’s Day. It’s a day to celebrate the myriad achievements of women, and it has been celebrated since the early 1900s. But though great progress has been made since then, gender inequality is still a shameful reality. Also, in many countries, poverty, lack of education, and poor health-care, etc. still prevent women from achieving their full potential.
1. Stand up and speak out
Use this day to take a stance by standing up and speaking out about an issue that affects women. Maybe you can take a pledge online or express your support for the cause on social media.
2. Join a march
Take part in a march for a cause that is dear to women. For example:
- Ending gender violence, whether it’s domestic and institutional
- Freedom of choice for all women
- Equal pay for equal work
- Environmental justice
- Ending police brutality.
3. Promote gender diversity at work
Women’s representation in the labor force is very low compared to men. Also, most women work in low-paid jobs. Sustainable and healthy economies depend on the participation of women. They need to be empowered, and the barriers that prevent them from getting good jobs have to be dismantled. So, if you have your own business or lead an organization, take the initiative to introduce policies to eliminate gender discrimination and encourage workplace diversity.
4. Have an IWD celebration
Walk the talk by planning some interesting events on this day. This will reveal your commitment to gender equality and inclusion. You could try these ideas:
- Organize morning tea or shared lunch around the IWD theme, with women speakers
- Profile your organization’s female achievers on your website
- Send an email to all staff to make them aware of the day’s importance
- Screen a film on women’s issues
- Organize a seminar with speeches by women in your field
5. Read books by women writers
If you would rather shun big gestures, you can try a more personal approach by reading a great book by a female writer. Or, you can host a book club at your house or workplace. You could try one of these bestsellers by women writers that came out in 2019:
- The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
- The book is a sequel that comes 15 years after The Handmaid's Tale. All the questions that the book left readers with at the end of the first book are finally answered in this one.
- Queenie by Candice Carty Williams
- Queenie Jenkins is a 25-year-old, Jamaican-British girl who lives in London. She works for a newspaper and hates comparing herself to her white colleagues. After her break up with her white boyfriend, Queenie makes some bad decisions. Finally, she’s forced to take a fresh look at her life and her future.
- Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
- In this poetry memoir, Anderson, who wrote the best-selling novel, Speak, narrates incidents from her haunting past. She talks about trauma, assault, being a survivor, fighting predators, and so on.
- Golden Child by Claire Adam
- Clyde and Joy have twin teenage sons, Peter and Paul. They live in rural Trinidad. While Peter is a high-achiever, Paul is a little odd. When he goes missing, Clyde goes in search of him. Once he realizes the truth, Clyde has to make a very difficult decision.
6. Watch a women-centric film
Men have always dominated the film industry, be it as actors, directors, or technicians. Not surprisingly, they also command higher salaries. The pay gap between men and women is one of the many ugly realities of the movie industry, along with the casting couch. This March, celebrate women in film by watching a women-centric movie with your friends, colleagues, or family.
7. Attend a women’s networking event
March is often a month for many women’s events and conferences. They enable female professionals to support each other, share knowledge, and find mentors. At such conferences, challenges for women in the industry are addressed, so that workplaces will be more female-inclusive. If you’re a working woman, become a mentor for a younger person or make a speech, and share your knowledge with others.
8. Donate to your local women’s refuge
Many women all over the world experience violence from a family member, be it father, husband, or son, during their lifetime. It’s not easy to escape an abusive domestic situation, and women’s shelters are a big help for such women. But these shelters need financial support, and hence you could donate generously to a shelter in your neighborhood.
9. Watch TED Talks by women
There have been many inspiring TED Talks by women on feminism, and women’s issues. Some of them are very profound and thought-provoking. Here are a few of them:
- We should all be feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
- Color blind or color brave by Mellody Hobson
- Unlock the intelligence, passion, greatness of girls by Leymah Gbowee.
- The price of shame by Monica Lewinsky.
- The dangerous ways ads see women by Jean Kilbourne.
10. Do something nice for a woman you care about
Make your mother, daughter, friend, lover, or female colleague feel special by sending them flowers or a card. You could give a small gift or take them out to dinner. Another good idea would be to offer a Parvati Homam or Garbarakshambigai Homam for their well-being. In this way, we can show our appreciation for the women around us.
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