International Women’s Day: 8 Ideas Businesses of All Sizes Can Recognize and Empower Women at Work

International Women’s Day 2025 is the ideal chance to honor women in businesses of all sizes, highlight their achievements, combat prejudice, and take equality-promoting action. Here are eight ways that businesses can participate and have a significant influence on this significant day to get you motivated.

This year’s theme is #IWD2025 #AccelerateAction, and the official IWD website has posted the following statement:

“Accelerate Action is a worldwide call to acknowledge strategies, resources, and activity that positively impact women’s advancement, and to support and elevate their implementation. Significant barriers to gender equality remain, yet with the right action and support, positive progress can be made for women everywhere. Focusing on the need to Accelerate Action emphasizes the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.”

We hope this will help you come up with ideas for your company’s March 8 celebrations.

1. Encourage your employees to participate in the #AccelerateAction social media photo challenge

By encouraging employees to take a selfie in the International Women’s Day 2025 pose and post your #AccelerateAction image, video, resources, presentation, or articles on social media with the hashtags #IWD2025 #AccelerateAction, the IWD organizers are urging businesses to participate in this year’s campaign.

Businesses have a fantastic opportunity to join, post pictures of their employees on their own social media accounts, and submit team photos to IWD for inclusion on their international social media accounts and channels.

2. Organize online panel events or invite your staff to participate

“If she can’t see it, she can’t be it.” One of the best ways to get inspired to take action is to listen to women who have already been on the route and offer their expertise, life experiences, and professional guidance. There are many fantastic online events with excellent speaker lineups scheduled for International Women’s Day this year since the majority of the events will be held online events rather than in person.

Read more: Interesting and Amazing Fun Facts About International Women’s Day

Research some interesting events in your industry or community while organizing your organization’s celebrations, and get your staff to sign up. The International Women’s Day Event Showcase Page is an excellent starting point, since it offers a wide selection of events with a variety of outstanding speakers listed worldwide.

3. Honor your female staff by hosting a (virtual) coffee morning

One easy way to connect and catch up in the workplace on International Women’s Day is to have a virtual coffee morning. What better way to introduce this year’s theme than to ask everyone to contribute their stories about a female public figure they like or an inspirational woman in their life?

4. How important a simple “thank you” is

The influence that a simple “thank you” can have on others is something we often forget. It’s a great moment to acknowledge and appreciate the women in your team or organization for their dedication and hard work. Finally, small steps build up to help achieve gender equality in the workplace. Therefore, the thought and sincerity are what actually matter, whether it’s a thank-you letter for your staff or just an email or Zoom chat (like practically everything these days).

5. Download IWD Zoom backgrounds

There are many resources available on the IWD website that you can use to help IWD. To encourage and motivate your friends and coworkers to #AccelerateAction, you can even download and use their IWD 2025 Zoom backgrounds. Download the following photos to use as web meeting backgrounds for Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other platforms to demonstrate solidarity and support for International Women’s Day at online meetings, events, and get-togethers.

6. Share and submit an IWD Influencer statement

Win over your leadership team and get them to write a brief note about how important it is to actively encourage women’s growth in the workplace. Share this statement with your staff members on IWD by email or even the company’s LinkedIn profile. IWD 2024 Influencer Statements are also being accepted from CEOs and C-Suite executives of companies that promote women’s advancement.

7. Make use of the free IWD resources

If you intend to conduct an International Women’s Day event for your organization, go through the selection of IWD tools and resources that will support the adoption of equity. If you’re organizing an event, we suggest looking through the event pack resources, the social media cards for your own campaigns, or just looking at what other people are doing to get some amazing ideas.

8. Long-term view: Evaluate your internal D&I plan

We must remember that the long-term is what really counts, even though the majority of the ideas we have so far discussed are more immediate and can be put into action right away. These initiatives highlight the value of empowering women, but promoting a mental shift is even more important.

In order to guarantee gender pay equity in your company, HR may play a significant role in this by advocating for improved pay structures and more women in C-suite leadership roles. Even if there is still a long way to go until gender parity is achieved, you may still contribute to changing the tide.