On March 8th, women all over the globe are coming together to celebrate International Women’s Day. While we here at SST celebrate women everyday, this global day is a time to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
In the past, we’ve celebrated by highlighting the achievements of women that are paving the way in their industries on my Instagram Story, I had lunch with my mother and grandmother to talk about how much the role of women has really shifted in the past 100 or so years, and I celebrated with a bunch of girlfriends at a happy hour designed to empower us to achieve big, scary goals in the future.
No matter how you decide to celebrate the achievements of women across the globe on this special day, here are our top 5 suggestions for how to best celebrate International Women’s Day.
5 Ideas for Celebrating International Women’s Day
Celebrate #EachforEqual
This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is #EachforEqual, which is asking us all to challenge gender stereotypes & biases, broaden perceptions, and celebrate women’s achievements to help us move towards a more gender equal world.
To support this mission, strike the “each for equal” pose (aka, make an equal sign with your arms) and make sure that you include #eachforequal on any social media post. Let’s spread the word and make the world a more equal place to live!
Support women in art & business
Celebrating International Women’s Day doesn’t have to include grand gestures, it can be that you select women-owned businesses to support, or even something as simple as selecting a female author book for your book club!
The easiest way to support female-owned businesses is to shop small. Odds are that the owner may even be in the store so you can get to know them on a more personal level!
If you’re interested in supporting female authors or storylines, then I do have a few, quick suggestions:
Books
What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About
In this collection of essays, various writers discuss their unique, rich relationships with their mothers. Each one more developed than the last, this book shows how intricate women’s relationships can be with one another, and prompts you to show support for one another in the best way you can. *Note, some authors are male, but they’re still discussing their relationships with their mothers directly.
Little Fires Everywhere
One of the best books I read in 2019 and it kept me on my toes the whole time. Reese Witherspoon’s production company purchased the rights and they will be releasing a television version in the near future. Read this before it hits your home screen!
How to Be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life
To be clear, I love almost anything Lilly Singh touches, but this book is no different. She pushes the envelope and empowers the reader to work their booty off to achieve great things. Singh brings humor to her serious, totally BA edge, and I love her for it.
Movies
Hidden Figures
This tells the true, untold story of three women who were instrumental in getting John Glenn into orbit. I watched this movie with my father and even he cried – that’s saying something. It’s a beautifully told story that empowers you to follow your heart. *Note, directed by a male, but this story will empower you and every woman in your life.
Wonder Woman
A fun superhero flick, centered on a powerful female that kicks some major butt. A total major motion picture, the studio went all out with a top-notch cast, big-budget sets, and a fantastic storyline that keeps you hooked the whole time. Perfect for audiences of all ages.
Steel Magnolias
Basically a true story, this male writer (note, male director) wrote this storyline and cast of characters based on his mother, sister, and his mother’s friends. I won’t ruin the ending, but know that what I find incredibly beautiful about this film is the way women’s friendships are portrayed as supportive and strong. A film that will make you laugh, cry, and want to call your friends immediately for a quick catch-up.
Support She Breaks Barriers
94% of female executives in the C-suite played sports, 52% played at the university level or higher! But research shows that, by 17 years old, 51% of girls have left the world of athletics because they don’t feel like they belong or they don’t see a future in sports. And to that I say… heck no!
“She Breaks Barriers” is a campaign started by adidas in which they have created a series of new partnerships with three areas of focus – to provide access, to remove stereotypes, and to address the inequality for female athletes at all levels and ages.
From partnering with Jen Walter, the first female NFL coach, to co-host girls’ flag football camps, to signing on to partner with Girls on the Run through 2021, to working with colleges to uncover ways to overcome barriers in sport, adidas is paving the way towards inspiring and supporting the next generation of female athletes.
Inspired by their work, we can each individually continue to inspire girls to get involved in sport. From volunteering to coach a Girls on the Run team, to donating girls’ sports apparel to your local area teams, you can make an impact. Not only will you be helping to keep girls involved in sports, but you’ll also be inspiring yourself to stay involved every step of the way.
And, an extra special call-out – Girls on the Run is both partnering with adidas on this incredible initiative AND is my sorority’s (Gamma Phi Beta) philanthropy partner. Sounds like that opportunity may just be calling my name…
Participate in an International Women’s Day Event Near Home
Several events have been registered through the official International Women’s Day website to celebrate this specific day. Head to this site to narrow down the huge list of events to find one that’s in your area.
It’s important to know that International Women’s Day may just be one day, but it’s actually designed to spark year-long conversation. With that in mind, some events may not be exactly on March 8th. But heck, if it sparks your interest, go and invite your whole crew to celebrate with you!
Donate to Your Local Women’s Shelter
As of 2018, 106,119 women were homeless across the nation. Another study found that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence at some point in their lifetime.
At times, especially when struggling to get her feet on the ground, a women’s shelter or transitional housing space may be a woman’s only way out of a very tough situation.
If you’re looking for a women’s shelter to support, check this list, which is organized by state. Your support will go towards programming, education, skills development, and meals, in addition to many other services that these incredible centers provide.
International Women’s Day is March 8
Make some plans to get together with your friends and family to celebrate this festive, empowering holiday. We’ve come so far, but there’s still a long distance to go until the entire world is #eachforequal. Your small steps can help us make a giant leap forward.
This post was sponsored by the wonderful team at adidas, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Semi-Sweet Tooth and our sponsors!!
Create a great life!
