WAYS TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY AT WORK

It has been over 100 years now that Women’s Day is celebrated across the globe on March 8th each year. It is marked as a day to celebrate gender equality and women’s rights around the world. In the year 2020, Kamala Harris broke the routine and became the first female Black Jamaican Vice President of the United States of America.  Across the globe, countries like Germany, New Zealand, and Bangladesh with female leaders received well-deserved global praise for handling the COVID-19 pandemic effectively. Scotland became the first country in the world to allow universal and free access to menstrual products.

The above examples show some of the major steps we have taken in forming a society with gender equality and represent some incredible progress made, but we still have a very long way to go. If we continue at this rate, according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2020, we will reach gender parity for another 99.5 years. Our world leaders are definitely doing their part to build a clear path toward bringing about a change in our society and wiping out gender discrimination.

But the question then arises: are we doing our bit? It is also up to every one of us to contribute toward building a better gender-equal future, and there is absolutely no action that is small or big to get started. In this blog post, I shall share 10 excellent ways to celebrate Women’s Day in 2021 and do our part to promote gender equality for a better tomorrow.

#CHOOSETOCHALLENGE

This is the official theme for International Women’s Day 2021, and it comes straight from the IWD website. #ChooseToChallenge is calling for action by challenging the existing state of affairs by raising awareness about gender bias, celebrating the achievements of women, questioning the stereotypes that we see around us, taking serious actions, and challenging inequality to forge a better world for tomorrow.

One simple way to celebrate Women’s Day this year is by showing your commitment to inequality by taking part in the #ChooseToChallenge social media campaign. Take a photo of yourself with your hand high up in the air and share it on your preferred social media platform (I suggest uploading it on multiple platforms) with #ChooseToChallenge and #IWD2021.

You can also accumulate your whole office team and take a group picture; if you are still working at home, you can also take a screenshot virtually. While you upload your picture to the social media handle, please also upload it to the official IWD website, along with a pledge against gender discrimination.

ADVOCATE FOR GENDER EQUALITY AT WORK

Due to COVID-19, women are facing new challenges at their respective workplaces. According to the McKinsey report, Women in the Workplace 2020, women in the United States of America are more likely to be laid off or driven to consider leaving their careers behind because of the increased responsibility of childcare and home management. This happens especially with women of color. We need to ensure that women in this nation also need to progress and be independent. We, as a society, need to progress towards gender equality.

Please create an inclusive work environment, examine the company HR policies, and make sure women get their benefits and rights in your organization. If need be, challenge your business leaders to make sure all women receive fair support at work. Without the equal contribution of women in health, education, business, and politics, we will not be able to achieve a vibrant future.

PLAN A LUNCH CATCH UP (IT COULD BE VIRTUAL AS WELL)

Lunch and dinners have always been a good way to catch up with your colleagues. Conversing with food is always a great set-up. If you are still working from home, this can be achieved virtually as well. A great conversation starter for this lunch date is discussing and sharing stories about inspirational women in their lives, or maybe a public figure they look up to.

You could also take some time to thank the women in the organization and talk a little about their hard work and contribution to the firm. Not only will this help them feel special, but it will also help in taking those baby steps toward gender equality.

SUPPORT BUDDING WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

We all know how difficult it is to start a business, and it is even more difficult to sustain it. But today, there are many women who are breaking the stereotype and thinking outside the box to start a new and innovative business. The number of women entrepreneurs is way higher than what we have seen in the last decade.

Please do show your support for these women-owned start-ups, not just by posting a story or a picture on your social media, but by actually purchasing from them, recommending them to a friend, or attending an event. You could also give them corporate orders to boost their morale. Well, the options are many, and a simple gesture from your end can go a long way.

START A BOOK CLUB

We need to understand the problem to solve it. Understanding the challenges faced by women across the globe is a very important step in supporting gender equality. This year on International Women’s Day start a book club with your colleagues which will focus on educating about women’s issues, their achievements, and women's empowerment.

HERE ARE SOME FANTASTIC BOOK CLUB SELECTIONS.

• No Logo, by Naomi Klein.
• Untamed, by Glennon Doyle.
• We should all be feminists. by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
• Educated, by Tara Whatsoever.

Set up a coffee date with a woman in your network.

The best way to learn something new and get inspired is by having a simple conversation. It can happen that you learn from her mistakes or celebrate and be happy with her success.

This International Women’s Day, ask a fellow woman from your network out on a date. Believe me, this will hardly take 30 minutes of your time but will definitely end up making you both feel good. Talk about their careers, future goals, and ways to achieve them. You can also talk about their experience at work with gender-biased people and how they overcame those obstacles. Talk about personal care and pampering spas.

HERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS TO START A CONVERSATION.

• How do you balance your career and personal life?
• What did you learn from the last year, and what advice would you give yourself?
• Which unique challenges did you face in your career because you were a woman? How did you overcome them?
• Do you have any challenges in life currently?
• Would you like to talk about challenges in your personal life, if there are any?

HOST A SCREENING

Hosting a movie night and selecting a movie with a strong female lead is surely going to be impactful, and it will surely be a fun way for the audience to learn about gender norms and our perceptions of what the future world should be like.

Even though we have been achieving record levels in films with female representation, there is still a big gap to be filled when it comes to gender equality in Hollywood. According to the 2019 Celluloid Ceiling report, women accounted for 20% of the top 100 grossing films, working as directors, producers, executive producers, writers, editors, and cinematographers. Host a movie screening this year with your team and colleagues and see the world from a woman’s point of view.

HERE IS A LIST I HAVE PUT TOGETHER OF THE FILMS THAT ARE WOMEN-CENTRIC.

• Hidden Figures.
• Trapped.
• Becoming Jane.
• Hooligan Sparrow.
• 13^th.
• Suffragette.
• Little Women.
• Coco before Chanel.
• Iron Lady.

TRIVIA NIGHT

Let your friends compete with each other and fight to get more points. What better way to learn about historic women than through a quiz? So let the competition begin! Do it in small groups or with your entire office team. You can also do it virtually via video conferencing. Trivia night always brings some fun for everyone. The theme of the trivia night, you ask? Women who have made history, like Malala Yousafzai, Maya Angelou, and, of course, my personal favorite, Kamala Harris, After all, we just want an opportunity to shine a light on these great women.

DONATE FOR WOMEN’S CHARITY

It need not necessarily be local. There are many charities around the world that can do a lot of good things for women and use some money for the same. So you can gather your team and involve them in a fund-raising activity. This will be a nice way to bond with your colleagues and raise some funds as well. If you plan to host the trivia night or the movie screening night, it will be a good opportunity to raise some funds and then later donate them to a nice charity everyone agrees upon. Here is a list of a few women’s charities across the globe. Take your pick.

Dress for success. This is a global non-profit organization. It helps women attain economic independence by providing professional attire, development tools, and a network of support for them to thrive in their work and lives.

Women for Women International: This organization helps and invests in women who have survived war and conflict. They connect them to each other and make them realize they are survivors and what their own power is.

AnitaB.org: This organization works to educate and advance women in the technological field in the United States and all around the globe. This organization envisions building a future for women who are imagining and building new technologies for society, mirroring the society and people for whom it is being built.

WRITE A THAN YOU NOTE

We often forget how impactful a simple thank-you can be. This Women’s Day, show your appreciation and thank the women around you and on your team for their outstanding contribution to the organization.

Make this note handwritten to add a personal touch to it. This will definitely earn some brownie points for you and will motivate the women to work harder as well.

ACKNOWLEDGING THE AMAZING WOMEN IN YOUR LIFE

Simple words of appreciation, acknowledgment, and love can sometimes go a long way in lifting someone's spirits, bringing a smile to their face, or inspiring them to not give up and keep going ahead.

Whether it is your mother, sister, grandmother, girlfriend, friend, or daughter, video call or call them and let them know how important they are in your life and what an amazing job they have done in their careers and personal lives.

A few words of appreciation and encouragement can definitely make their women’s day special.

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY WOMEN’S DAY