Celebrate Women’s Day in the Office

Every March, the United States pauses to recognize the often-overlooked stories of women who shaped the nation. Women’s History Month stands as a dedicated time to explore, celebrate, and learn from the contributions women have made across politics, science, culture, and everyday life throughout American history.

This global holiday has roots stretching back to the early twentieth century, when working women organized protests demanding better conditions, voting rights, and freedom from discrimination. Today, it carries that same spirit of meaningful action into modern workplaces.

The United Nations officially designated March 8th as International Women’s Day in 1977, and each year brings a new campaign theme. Themes are typically announced each autumn, giving organizations time to plan their approach. For 2026, the theme is Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.

This guide focuses specifically on how to celebrate Women’s Day in the office with concrete, practical ideas for in-person, hybrid, and remote teams. Whether you have weeks to plan or just a few days before March, you’ll find options that range from quick wins to deeper initiatives that can reshape your company culture.

Why It’s Important to Celebrate Women’s Day in the Office

According to recent World Economic Forum reports, women globally still face significant gaps in promotion rates, compensation, and leadership representation. Only about 27% of C-suite roles are held by women worldwide, and pay equity remains elusive in most industries.

These statistics aren’t abstract; they play out in everyday office life when talented women are overlooked for stretch assignments, interrupted in meetings, or passed over for promotions their male counterparts receive.

Office celebrations of Women’s History Month or Women's Day can serve several important purposes:

Raise awareness of ongoing inequities that many employees may not realize exist within their own organization
Improve representation by spotlighting women leaders and creating visible role models for early-career employees
Build community among women across departments who might otherwise never connect
Demonstrate commitment to inclusion in ways that attract and retain talented people
Encourage employees of all genders to become active allies in creating change

It’s worth understanding the distinction between equality and equity here. Equality means treating everyone the same—giving all employees identical resources and opportunities. Equity means providing fair support based on different needs.

In practice, this might look like offering flexible hours for caregivers, creating mentorship programs for underrepresented groups, or ensuring that parental leave policies support women’s career continuity.

Any discussion of women’s experiences must also acknowledge intersectionality. A woman’s experience at work is shaped not only by her gender but also by her race, disability status, age, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic background. Indigenous women, women of color, disabled women, and LGBTQ+ women often face compounded barriers. Office initiatives should reflect this reality rather than treating women as a monolithic group.

Most importantly, Women’s Day should kick-start year-round action rather than serve as a one-off “cupcakes and balloons” event. The organizations that see real culture change treat this day as an anchor point in an ongoing commitment, not the sum total of their efforts.

Quick Ideas You Can Implement Before March 8th

Short on time? These ideas require minimal planning and can be launched within a week or even on the day itself.

Shout-out wall on your Recognition Platform: Post an announcement on your company's recognition platform where employees can post public recognition for women colleagues. Use your internal chat tool to run a “Thank a Woman at Work” thread from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 8th, encouraging colleagues to tag and thank women they work with.
Same-day appreciation email campaign: No recognition platform? Send a company-wide email on March 8th inviting everyone to reply with a brief note thanking a woman colleague who has supported their work. Compile and share the responses internally.
Themed virtual backgrounds: Design or download Women’s Day Zoom backgrounds in purple, green, and white (the official IWD colors representing justice, hope, and purity) and encourage employees to use them during meetings that week or for the full month of March to honor Women's History Month.
30-minute office huddle: Schedule a brief all-hands gathering on March 8th where 2-3 employees share stories of inspiring women who influenced their careers—whether mothers, mentors, historical figures, or other women in the organization.
Purple ribbon distribution: Place small purple ribbons in the lobby or mail them to remote workers with a card explaining the day’s significance.
Manager shout-outs: Ask all people managers to publicly recognize at least one woman on their team during the week of March 8th, either in team meetings or through your recognition platform.

That last point is particularly powerful: inviting male managers to publicly acknowledge women’s contributions demonstrates allyship and signals that celebrating women is everyone’s responsibility, not just a task for women themselves.

Plan Meaningful Events and Activities for Women’s Day in the Office

If you have a few weeks before March 8th—or you’re planning activities throughout March—you can organize deeper events that create lasting impact. The key is to schedule activities during working hours (lunch-and-learns around 12:30–1:30 p.m. tend to work well) so participation doesn’t burden employees with caregiving responsibilities or other after-hours commitments.

The ideas below cover storytelling, education, networking, creativity, and fun. Mix and match based on your office size, budget, and what resonates with your team.

Spotlight Women’s Stories Inside and Outside the Office

Run a “Women of Our Workplace” series on your recognition platform and office noticeboards. Each week, feature profiles of women from different departments and seniority levels—not just executives, but also women in support roles, early-career employees, and frontline staff.

Include specific prompts to keep stories authentic:

“What’s a barrier you’ve overcome in your career?”
“Which woman inspired you growing up?”
“What advice would you give to women just starting out?”

Pair internal stories with one external profile each week. This might include historical figures like Ada Lovelace or Marie Curie, or contemporary leaders from your industry. You could even highlight women from your local community (business owners, politicians, activists) whose work employees might not know about.

Use a consistent visual style: a professional headshot, a short pull quote, and 150–200 words of narrative. This format works well for office corridors, internal newsletters, and digital displays.

Encourage volunteers across all levels to participate so that the series doesn’t become a showcase only for senior leaders. Women in entry-level positions have valuable stories too, and featuring them sends a message that everyone’s contributions matter.

Invite Guest Speakers and Panel Discussions

Organize a 45–60 minute talk or panel discussion during the week of March 8th. Your speakers might include women leaders from within the company, clients, or local community organizations.

Concrete topic examples that generate meaningful dialogue:

Topic	Why It Works
Navigating your career after maternity leave	Addresses a real transition many women face
Women in STEM in 2026	Highlights ongoing representation challenges
Inclusive leadership for mixed-gender teams	Appeals to all genders and focuses on action
Breaking into leadership without an MBA	Makes leadership feel accessible
Building confidence in negotiations	Practical skill-building with immediate application

Format matters: aim for a short keynote (10–15 minutes) followed by Q&A or a moderated discussion. Record the session for remote or global offices in different time zones, and make the recording available afterward.

Prepare 3–5 guided questions in advance to avoid stereotypical or tokenistic conversations. Ensure your speaker lineup includes diverse voices across race, age, and role type—not just women who fit a narrow definition of success.

Collect anonymous employee questions via a form or chat tool before the event. This encourages participation from quieter team members and helps speakers prepare thoughtful responses.

Host Women’s Networking and Mentoring Sessions

Create structured opportunities for women across departments to meet and connect. A 60-minute in-office or virtual networking event using small rotating groups works well—think 10-minute “speed networking” rounds where participants discuss their roles, challenges, and goals.

For longer-term impact, consider matching early-career women with more senior mentors for 3–6 month informal mentoring relationships launched around March 8th. The “Give To Gain” concept works well here: mentors gain fresh perspectives while mentees gain career guidance.

Practical setup tips:

Create conversation cards with prompts about career goals, negotiation experiences, and work-life balance. Place these on tables or share them on screen for virtual sessions.
Invite male allies as listeners or sponsors for some segments. Make their role explicit: to listen, learn, and ask how they can support women’s career growth, not to dominate the conversation.
Provide light refreshments sourced from women-owned businesses in your area. This makes the session welcoming without turning it into a late-night social that excludes caregivers.

Run Educational Sessions and Workshops

Short workshops on equity-related topics can shift awareness and behavior across your organization. Consider sessions on:

Unconscious bias and how it shows up in hiring, meetings, and performance reviews
Inclusive hiring practices for managers
How to be an effective ally to women and non-binary colleagues
Overcoming barriers to speaking up in meetings

The best workshops use real office scenarios rather than abstract concepts. For example, you might discuss what to do when someone takes credit for a woman’s idea in a meeting, how to support colleagues transitioning back from parental leave, or how to respond to biased comments.

Use internal HR or DEI leads as facilitators when possible. If hiring external trainers, look for specialists in gender equity who can tailor content to your industry and company culture.

Don't forget to make workshop materials (slides, handouts, reading lists) available on the intranet afterward for employees who couldn’t attend live.

Celebrate with Creative and Cultural Activities

Not every Women’s Day activity needs to be serious. Creative and cultural elements make the celebration feel joyful and help the theme permeate everyday office life.

Curate an office playlist for March featuring women artists from different genres and regions. Create a collaborative Spotify playlist and invite employees to add songs. Either play it at low volume in common areas throughout the month, or share the link internally so people can listen when they choose.

Launch a one-month book or film club selecting 2–3 titles by women authors or directors. Host a lunchtime discussion every other week. Some options that spark good conversation:

Book	Author
Lean In	Sheryl Sandberg
We Should All Be Feminists	Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Invisible Women	Caroline Criado Perez
The Memo	Minda Harts

Encourage employees to contribute recommendations through an online form, then publish a curated office reading and viewing list. This extends the celebration beyond March and gives people resources to explore on their own time.

Support Women Beyond the Office Walls

Celebrating Women’s Day at work also means recognizing women’s experiences in the broader community and world. The women’s rights movement has always connected workplace struggles to larger social change, and modern celebrations can honor that history.

Consider a mix of actions: supporting women-owned businesses, donating to charities, and raising awareness of current global issues affecting women. Before selecting external causes, consult women in your workforce. What matters to them? What organizations have they personally been involved with? This ensures your efforts reflect genuine priorities rather than assumptions.

Partner with and Promote Women-Owned Businesses

Source office catering, snacks, gifts, and event prizes from verified women-owned suppliers in your area or through online marketplaces. Many cities have directories of certified women-owned businesses, and national organizations provide verification.

Feature a short “Meet the Founder” story for any women-owned vendor you use. Share it on internal channels alongside photos of their products. This gives employees context about where their food or gifts came from and highlights entrepreneurship as a career path.

Compile a simple internal directory of local women-owned cafes, bookstores, and services near your office. Share it before March 8th so employees can choose to support these businesses personally during lunch breaks or after work.

Consider hosting a small pop-up market in the office lobby one afternoon in March. Invite a few local women-owned micro-businesses (bakers, artisans, skincare brands) to showcase and sell their products. This creates a festive atmosphere and provides real economic support.

Budget note: Remember, always pay vendors fairly for their products and time. Asking for free items “for exposure” undermines the goal of economic empowerment.

Donate and Volunteer for Women-Focused Causes

Choose 1–3 reputable charities or NGOs that focus on women’s education, health, entrepreneurship, or protection from violence. Announce a company donation on or around March 8th. Organizations like Girls Who Code, Women for Women International, or local women’s shelters often welcome corporate partnerships.

Match employee donations up to a set amount during March to encourage broader participation. Clearly explain the matching rules in internal communications. For example, “The company will match every employee donation up to $50 per person, with a total pool of $5,000.”

Propose a paid volunteer day or half-day group volunteering activity. Options include:

Sorting donations at a local women’s shelter
Mentoring girls in STEM through a virtual program
Reviewing resumes for women re-entering the workforce
Assembling care packages for women experiencing homelessness

Be thoughtful in how you talk about beneficiaries. Avoid saviour language and focus on partnership and respect. Where possible, include a representative from the organization as a guest speaker so employees understand the mission directly.

Track and report the impact of these actions—total amount raised, hours volunteered, number of participants—in follow-up communications later in the year. This builds support for continued involvement.

Raise Awareness of Global Women’s Rights Issues

Dedicate part of your Women’s Day communications to current global issues affecting women. This might include restrictions on education in certain countries, ongoing debates around reproductive rights, or protests and movements you’ve seen in international news. Use credible sources and present information factually.

Create a simple internal digital “resource hub” with links to articles, documentaries, and campaigns employees can explore in their own time. The United Nations and established human rights organizations publish accessible content regularly.

Host a short lunchtime “global snapshot” webinar where employees from different regions share stories about how their country marks International Women’s Day and what local issues women face. This is particularly valuable for companies with international offices.

For more sensitive topics, clearly signal that attendance is optional and provide signposting to employee assistance programs or support services if discussions become emotionally heavy. The goal is education and awareness, not distress.

Remember that Women’s Day has roots in activism and social change. Acknowledging this history respectfully, honors the women who fought for rights many now take for granted.

Make the Office Environment Itself More Inclusive

Celebrating Women’s Day meaningfully includes reviewing policies, physical spaces, and everyday practices. The focus should be on long-term improvements, not just decorations for one day. Involve women employees in identifying priorities through surveys, focus groups, or conversations with your employee resource groups.

Review Policies, Benefits, and Facilities Through a Gender Lens

Conduct a light “gender audit” of HR policies each February, examining:

Policy Area	Questions to Ask
Parental leave	Is leave equally available to all parents? Does the policy support career continuity?
Flexible working	Are requests evaluated consistently? Do caregivers have real access to flexibility?
Promotion criteria	Are requirements clear and equally applied? Are there hidden barriers?
Grievance procedures	Do employees trust the process? Are complaints handled fairly?
Pay equity	Have you conducted a pay audit? Are gaps addressed?

Practical facility checks matter too:

Safe and well-lit parking areas
Accessible lactation rooms or private spaces for pumping
Adequate sanitary supplies in restrooms
Inclusive dress codes that don’t impose different burdens on women

Survey employees anonymously about what changes would most improve women’s day-to-day experience. Then communicate any commitments announced on or shortly after March 8th, like extending parental leave, formalizing hybrid work policies, or improving facilities, to show that feedback leads to action.

Use Recognition to Highlight Women’s Contributions

Launch a Women’s Day recognition campaign where managers and peers submit short notes about women colleagues’ achievements. Share these on your recognition platform, in a March town hall, or through your existing recognition platform.

Highlight a variety of roles:

Project managers who delivered complex initiatives
Customer support agents who resolved difficult situations
Administrative staff who keep the office running
Engineers who solved technical problems
HR specialists who supported colleagues through challenges

Consider creating a special March edition of any existing employee awards program. Focus on collaboration, mentoring, and inclusive leadership, not just revenue or sales metrics.

Include small, tangible tokens of appreciation: a handwritten card, a book by a woman author, or a training voucher. Source these from women-led suppliers where possible.

A word of caution: recognition should be specific, sincere, and linked to ongoing career opportunities. Praising someone enthusiastically on Women’s Day and then passing them over for promotion creates cynicism. Ensure that recognition connects to real investment in women’s careers.

Encourage Everyday Allyship and Dialogue

Facilitate small group conversations or roundtables where employees of all genders discuss how they can support women colleagues. Topics might include:

Amplifying women’s voices in meetings
Advocating for women during promotion discussions
Sharing caregiving responsibilities more equitably
Challenging biased comments when they occur

Create simple allyship guides or checklists, like “5 things you can do this week to amplify women’s voices in meetings,” and share them via email or on the intranet. Make the actions concrete and immediately applicable.

Set up or strengthen women-focused employee resource groups and explicitly invite allies to join as supporters. These groups provide community for women and create a ready-made planning committee for future Women’s Day activities.

Collect anonymous questions about gender equity and publish thoughtful responses during March. This normalizes open, respectful dialogue about topics that might otherwise feel uncomfortable.

Communicating Your Women’s Day Plans and Following Up

Thoughtful communication before, during, and after Women’s Day makes office initiatives more inclusive and better attended. Internal comms should clearly state the purpose of events, who is invited, time commitments, and how activities connect to broader inclusion goals.

Promote Your Office Celebrations Clearly and Early

Publish a simple March events calendar ASAP. Include:

Event	Date/Time	Location	Sign-up Link
Women’s Panel Discussion	March 8th, 12:30 p.m.	Conference Room A + Zoom	[Link]
Networking Lunch	12 March, 12:00 p.m.	Cafeteria	[Link]
Allyship Workshop	15 March, 2:00 p.m.	Training Room	[Link]
Book Club Discussion	22 March, 1:00 p.m.	Virtual	[Link]

Use multiple channels to reach all employees: email, recognition platforms, chat tools like Slack or Teams, and printed posters in common areas. Frontline employees who aren’t at desks all day may miss digital-only communications.

Use inclusive language in invitations, explicitly welcoming all genders. If any sessions are women-only, explain why (e.g., “This session creates space for women to share experiences openly”).

Include a brief note in every invitation connecting the activity to a concrete goal: “This panel is part of our commitment to broadening our pipeline of women in leadership” or “We’re partnering with local entrepreneurs to support women-owned businesses in our community.”

Name a clear point of contact or small organizing committee. Employees should know who to reach with questions or accessibility requests.

Gather Feedback and Turn It Into Ongoing Action

Send a short anonymous survey within a week after March 8th. Ask which activities employees found most valuable, what they would change, and what other support they’d like to see.

Include both quantitative and qualitative questions:

“Rate your satisfaction with the Women’s Panel Discussion (1-5)”
“What’s one thing we could do differently to better support women at work?”
“Which activity would you most like to see repeated next year?”

Share a brief summary of key insights within a month. Include at least 2–3 concrete commitments based on what you learned:

“We’re repeating the networking lunch quarterly”
“We’re piloting a mentorship matching program this summer”
“We’re expanding our ERG budget based on participation numbers”

Save ideas that weren’t feasible in March for other points in the year. Equal Pay Day, local women’s history observances, or your company’s anniversary provide additional moments to demonstrate ongoing commitment.

Consistent follow-through is what ultimately makes Women’s Day celebrations in the office credible and impactful. One great March means nothing if the rest of the year ignores women’s experiences.

Conclusion: Building a Workplace That Celebrates Women Every Day

Celebrating Women’s Day in the office is about both visible events—panels, networking sessions, creative activities, gifts—and less visible structural changes like inclusive policies, everyday allyship, and meaningful recognition. The best celebrations combine both, creating moments that feel special while building foundations that last.

The ultimate goal isn’t a perfect March 8th. It’s building an inclusive world within your office walls—a workplace where women at all levels feel safe, valued, and able to thrive. Not just on Women’s Day, but every day means creating a culture where the challenges women face are acknowledged and addressed, where inspiring women are celebrated regularly, and where everyone has the opportunity to contribute fully. That’s the kind of difference that transforms a single day’s celebration into lasting, meaningful action.

How to Celebrate Women’s Day in the Office