How to Participate in International Women’s Day

This year’s International Women’s Day is centered on the fight for equality. We’ve made plenty of strides in the last year — but we’ve also had quite a few, disheartening setbacks. Let’s use this year’s event as a way to celebrate how far we’ve come — and consider what steps we need to take to get to where we’d like to go. 

“The race is on for the gender equal boardroom, a gender equal government, gender equal media coverage, gender equal workplaces, gender equal sports coverage, more gender equality in health and wealth… so let’s make it happen. Let’s be #EachforEqual.”

Here are suggestions for celebrating #IWD2020 thoughtfully, lovingly, and with the quest for equality in mind.

1. Represent on your social channels, on your blog, and through your business — spread the good word!

Use your voice and your platform to let your followers know that today’s the day they should be celebrating women everywhere — and considering how they can better contribute to the fight for gender equality.

Be sure to tag your relevant content with #IWD2020 and this year’s themed hashtag, #EachForEqual. Snap a pic of yourself striking the #EachForEqual pose, and tag the handles of some ladies or femme-friendly causes you admire, like Busy Philipps and the Center for Reproductive Rights! (We’ve mentioned how much we love Busy, right?)

 https://www.instagram.com/p/B9bXh5UnBQt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading  

2. Speaking of Busy and the Center of Reproductive Rights — Donate to femme-friendly causes.

Whatever you believe in, be it an organization supporting women’s healthcare or one that’s fighting the good fight against period poverty — give a little bit, it goes a long way. If you don’t have the dollars (we get it), volunteer! What better excuse to get involved with a cause you care about than to start on International Women’s Day! Check out CharityNavigator.com’s Women’s History Month page for a great, comprehensive list of female oriented causes to dedicate your time or funds to.

3. Gather with people you love — who lift you up and treat you as an equal.

We’ll take ANY meaningful philanthropy to gather with our besties, right? Bonus if it’s over great causes and better cocktails! Carve out some time today to gather with people who put you on a pedestal that’s the same height as theirs. If you can’t get together physically, shoot ‘em an email, a text, a DM — maybe even post that super cute throwback pic to let them know you’re thinking of them. 

Not sure what to do with your crew? Why not attend an International Women’s Day event in your area? Dress up and head out for the cool, equality-conscious events in your area.

4. Consider where you have room to grow.

Set aside some time to consider how you practice feminism — how inclusive is your practice? Are there areas you can improve on? When you call for equality, are you really calling for equality for ALL women? 

Here’s a challenge from our team at BlogHer: Ingest some form of content that will broaden your understanding of feminism today. Whether it’s listening to a podcast featuring women who inspire you, watching a documentary or film (shoot for one that passes the Bechdel test), or reading something by a female author — celebrate the creative, beautiful minds that have helped shape modern day feminism. 

Need ideas? Check out our BlogHer Book Club or The Best Podcasts for Influencers, Entrepreneurs, and Blogger. Both feature incredible women in the content creating community — and will keep you entertained and educated for hours.

5. Be kind to yourself, lady!

Practice self-care. Write affirmations. Take a walk. Make yourself something luxurious for dinner. Being a woman is no cake walk. Celebrate yourself today. And eat some cake, if that’s your thing.

March 8th will come and go, as will March (Women’s History Month)! Luckily, all of these suggestions are easy to implement year-round. Let’s make March 8th a mini-New Years — use today to for a brand new start. Make a resolution on how to better support yourself and the women around you. Honor the hardships and sacrifices made by the women who came before you. All in all, commit to living your best lady-life. 

Have a femme-resolution? We want to hear it! Comment below or join our BlogHer Creators Facebook Group to share your thoughts. And while you’re at it, catch us on Instagram and Twitter + subscribe to our newsletter.