The Best Ways to Celebrate Women This Month (and Beyond)

By Catherine Santino | March 7, 2021

Each year, International Women’s Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on the important role women play in our families, workplaces and the world at large. But in 2021, we’re encouraging you to take an active role in supporting and celebrating women.

The official theme of International Women’s Day 2021 is #ChooseToChallenge, which urges us to celebrate women’s achievement, raise awareness against bias and take action for equality. But how exactly do we apply these pillars not only on this special day, but in our daily lives? Here, we’ve created a helpful list of ways to get involved in your community — from shoutouts on social media to becoming a virtual volunteer.

We’re all for the “women supporting women” movement that encourages us to look out for each other and lift each other up. However, such support doesn’t always have to come in the form of a grand declaration (which can feel like a barrier, especially without physical gatherings). Sometimes, simple words of encouragement can go a long way when it comes to women’s empowerment.

 Here are some easy (but impactful!) ways to support the women around you right now:

  • Reach out to a coworker and let her know how much you appreciate her work.
  • Did your friend recently get a promotion? Launch a new project? Take a moment to share her achievements on social media and let your followers know why she’s so special.
  • Shop a small, woman-owned business and leave a positive review. This can go such a long way for a small business — as well as brighten the founder’s day.

Knowledge is power. Taking the time to truly educate yourself about the unfair biases that women face can give you perspective into your own privileges and in turn, help you to understand and empathize with others.

Diving into resources like books and podcasts can expand your worldview, as well as give you the tools to effect change. Below are some of our recommendations, but of course, it’s always great to do your own research as well, to find different voices that are missing from your own social circle.

Books:

Podcasts:

Getting involved in your own local community is one of the most impactful ways you can do good. Most non-profit organizations rely on volunteers to keep their work going, so donating your time and effort is often invaluable to them. Plus, many in-person opportunities have shifted to virtual volunteering, so there are plenty of ways to take action not only in your community, but across the world.

Here are some ways to get involved:

  • Become a Girls Who Code Club Facilitator: Volunteer with our non-profit partner by helping students learn computer science skills.
  • Start a fundraiser for Room to Read: Also a non-profit partner of The Power of Good Fund by bareMinerals, Room to Read, is committed to ending illiteracy and gender inequality. Start your own fundraising campaign to help provide education and resources to children across the world.
    You can learn more about our two new non-profit partners here.
  •  Write letters to incarcerated women: Now more than ever, incarcerated individuals are dealing with extreme feelings of isolation. Through programs like the Compassion Prison Project, you help inmates cultivate feelings of belonging and connection.
  • Mentor a high school student with Girls Write Now: This organization is dedicated to helping at-risk girls develop writing and communication skills. Apply to be a mentor and work on-on-one with a high school student.

Catherine Santino

Read More by Catherine »