International Women's Day: How You Can Celebrate the Women in Your Life

As International Women’s Day approaches, it’s time to honour and celebrate the incredible women who shape our lives. From mothers and sisters to friends and colleagues, women play vital roles in every aspect of society. In this blog, we’ll explore meaningful ways to celebrate the women in your life, whether it’s through highlighting their achievements or volunteering for a good cause. 

From supporting women-owned businesses to advocating for gender equality, there are countless ways to show your gratitude and admiration. Join us as we delve into creative ideas and heartfelt gestures to make this International Women’s Day a truly memorable and empowering celebration of the remarkable women who inspire and uplift us every day.

A group of diverse women posing for a photograph

History of International Women’s Day 

International Women’s Day traces its origins to the early 20th century, emerging from the labour and suffrage movements. The first National Women’s Day was observed in the United States on February 28, 1909, in honour of a garment workers’ strike. Inspired by this, Clara Zetkin proposed an International Women’s Day at the International Conference of Working Women in 1910.
The inaugural International Women’s Day was celebrated on March 19, 1911, in several European countries. Over time, it evolved into a global celebration of women’s achievements and a call for gender equality, officially recognised by the United Nations in 1975.

IWD celebrates women’s achievements and calls for gender equality. It’s a global movement marked by rallies, conferences, and campaigns, addressing issues such as women’s empowerment and women’s rights. While progress has been made, challenges remain, making IWD a day to reflect on achievements and renew commitments to gender equality and inclusivity.

To learn more about the in-depth history of International Women’s Day, read this blog: International Women’s Day | Origins And Importance In 2024 This

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is Inspire Inclusion and Invest In Women: Accelerate Progress. As you navigate how you can celebrate International Women’s Day this year, be sure to embody this theme in every initiative you take. 

Women protesting in front of white house

How you can celebrate International Women’s Day at University 

As students, there are several ways through which you can make sure that International Women’s Day at your university is as enjoyable as possible.

Here are a few initiatives that you can take :

Arrange Seminars

There is no better celebrate women than to highlight the achievements of women who can help and inspire other students. 

You can host seminars/ events where you invite speakers to address the crowd and highlight how they achieved their goals and how they overcame different struggles that they have faced.

This can be helpful, especially for university students who are going to be entering the workforce for the first time and are ready to face the world!

A women addressing a room of people  

Support local women’s organisations

Another great way to celebrate International Women’s Day in university is by collaborating with local women’s organisations. There is a range of amazing women’s charities and organisations in the UK like The Fawcett Society, Imkaan and many others that work towards helping women in all facets of life. 

You can collaborate with other students to organise fundraising, promote volunteering opportunities and raise awareness for the meaningful causes that these organisations work towards. 

Read this blog on the list of Best Women’s Charities UK: Celebrate International Women’s Day 2024 by donating to a worthy cause

3 girls volunteering for good causes

Take Educational Initiatives

You can take the initiative to educate students on women’s history through art and entertainment. This can be made fun of by doing film screenings of movies that focus on women’s history or a book club where you regularly review empowering and thought-provoking books that are written by women. 

Read this blog on 12 Movies to Watch That Celebrate Women’s History Month and 20 books that are essential reading for Women’s History Month to get some inspiration. 

A group of women discussing in a book club

Create Social Media Campaigns 

You can collaborate with the student union to highlight the voices of the students where they can share inspiring anecdotes from their life and use social media to reach a wide audience. 

Social media here can act as a platform to give voices to the people who need it and can also be used to raise awareness of the campus events hosted to celebrate International Women’s Day as well. 

A camera recording a woman talking

Highlight Women’s Voices

A great way to support the women in your life is by highlighting their voices and their talents. Besides social media, which can be used to share experiences, highlighting women’s voices can also be done by hosting events where women can share their different talents.

This could be art exhibitions, open mics, poetry reading or all of them at one big event!

With the university being time-consuming, it might not always be possible for students to focus on different passions and hobbies that they might have, which is why it will be a great idea to give them a platform to share their talents with an audience. 

A girl holding a mic and singing

Take Part in the Women’s Day Events in your city 

International Women’s Das always has a range of events like marches, panels and other events where women from all faces of life can come together for one cause.

Be sure to check out the events that are taking place in your locale to take part in celebrating women this International Women’s Day. 

Women marching for international women's day

Take an intersectional Approach 

Make sure that every single initiative that you take to celebrate women in your life this International Women’s Day is inclusive and that it aims to include the experiences of women from different stages of life and different parts of the world. 

It is very important to note that everyone’s struggle is different and we should always aim towards diversity and intersectionality when it comes to discussing women’s issues.

A group of diverse women talking

Reflect and Take Action 

Regardless of whether we know it or not, there are many unconscious biases that we might have, and it is important to reflect and take the initiative to learn and grow. 

This change doesn’t happen overnight but rather is an ongoing process and there is no shame in not knowing about certain things. What is important is to make an effort to acknowledge the privilege we have while also attempting to learn about different issues that affect women from around the world and do the best you can to help the people who need it. 

A girl reading a book and critically thinking

As this blog International Women’s Day comes to an end, let us carry forward the spirit of celebration and empowerment. By honouring the women in our lives, advocating for gender equality, and amplifying women’s voices, we contribute to a more inclusive and equitable world.

Let us continue to support and uplift each other, recognising the invaluable contributions of women in all aspects of society. Together, we can create positive change and strive for a future where every woman and girl is empowered to reach her full potential. Keep celebrating, keep advocating, and keep pushing for progress every day.

Follow us on Instagram @_homesforstudents and let us know how you are celebrating the women in your life this International Women’s Day. 

Read next: How To Make The Most Of Ramadan At University

Table of Contents