International Women’s Day activities at work can be so much more than morning tea and a photo wall. When done well, they spark real conversations, lead to practical change, and strengthen culture. If you want this year to feel inclusive, energising and useful for everyone, you are in the right place.
Many teams want to recognise the day but are unsure what to run or how to avoid tokenism. Others worry about low engagement, or how to involve men and leaders in a genuine way. The good news is you do not need a huge budget. You need clarity, intention and a few proven formats.
In this article, we will define what meaningful looks like, outline why it matters for health, performance and culture, and give you step by step ideas to run International Women’s Day activities at work that people will remember and act on.
What is International Women’s Day at Work?
International Women’s Day is a global moment to celebrate the achievements of women and accelerate progress toward gender equality. In workplaces, it is a chance to recognise contributions, address barriers, and commit to practical steps that improve wellbeing, performance and opportunity for all. According to UN Women, progress requires both visibility and action, which is why activities should link to ongoing initiatives rather than be a once a year event.
Why it Matters
Gender equal workplaces perform better. Inclusive teams show stronger decision quality, innovation and resilience. In Australia, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency reports that transparency, flexible work and leadership accountability are linked with improved representation and pay outcomes. When employees feel psychologically safe and respected, they also experience better mental health and engagement, which supports lower burnout and higher performance. For leaders, International Women’s Day is a practical lever to reinforce culture and set a clear standard for behaviour.
How to Design Meaningful International Women’s Day Activities at Work
1. Set a clear intention and measure it
Decide what success looks like, such as improving inclusion literacy, boosting participation in mentoring, or identifying policy gaps. Use a simple pre and post pulse with three questions to track understanding and commitment.
2. Host a panel that centres diverse voices and practical actions
Invite women from different functions and career stages. Include an ally or sponsor to model shared responsibility. Focus questions on what helped, what hindered, and what the team can do next. Close with three actions the audience can take this month.
3. Run allyship micro training for everyone
Teach how to interrupt bias, share credit, and create space in meetings. Use short scenarios and role practice. Provide a one page checklist employees can keep. This builds daily habits, not just awareness.
4. Create mentoring circles with a simple matching process
Form small groups that meet monthly for three months. Provide a discussion guide and a rotating chair. This increases access to networks and sponsorship, which is a known driver of progression.
5. Deliver a pay and progression transparency session
Explain how roles are graded, how pay decisions are made, and where to find support. Share your plan to close gaps and the timeline for updates. Trust grows when people understand the system.
6. Offer wellbeing workshops tailored to women’s health
Topics can include sleep, energy, menstrual cycle informed training and burnout prevention. Tie education to simple routines people can apply. For movement guidance, see our article on how to exercise according to your menstrual cycle.
7. Run story based lunch and learns
Invite employees to share five minute personal stories that highlight a challenge and a strategy that worked. Keep it informal and inclusive. Stories build empathy and practical know how.
8. Host a leadership commitment moment
Ask senior leaders to share one action they will take and a date to report back. Capture commitments on a shared page and follow up at the next town hall. Visible accountability shifts culture.
9. Volunteer or partner with a community organisation
Coordinate a day of service or a skills based project with a reputable charity that supports women. This expands impact and offers purpose driven engagement. Offer in person and virtual options to include remote staff.
10. Audit meetings and flexibility for one month
Encourage teams to trial meeting free focus blocks, inclusive facilitation and flexible hours. Review what improved output and wellbeing, then adopt the best practices permanently.
11. Showcase women led suppliers and social enterprises
Feature them in catering, gifting and procurement spotlights. Invite a founder to speak about resilience and growth. This aligns spend with values.
12. Start a reflective discussion club
Choose a short article, podcast or film and provide three guiding questions. Keep sessions short and action oriented. Rotate hosts to spread ownership.
Sample Agendas And Templates
One hour panel and action session
- Welcome and purpose five minutes
- Panel discussion twenty five minutes
- Audience Q and A fifteen minutes
- Action commitments and close fifteen minutes
Follow up the next day with a summary, links, and a three question pulse.
Allyship micro training thirty minutes
- Why allyship matters five minutes
- Three practical behaviours ten minutes
- Role practice in pairs ten minutes
- Commitment and resources five minutes
Mentoring circles launch forty five minutes
- Program overview and expectations ten minutes
- First topic and discussion fifteen minutes
- Scheduling and roles ten minutes
- Support channels and close ten minutes
Tips to Drive Engagement
Make it easy to join
Offer multiple time slots and virtual access. Record sessions and share highlights. Provide childcare friendly timing where possible.
Invite leaders and allies personally
Ask managers to attend and bring their teams. Participation from leaders signals importance and boosts attendance.
Connect activities to real changes
Link discussions to policies, development pathways and wellbeing initiatives. People engage when they see momentum.
Celebrate and attribute fairly
Recognise the employees who helped organise and the speakers who shared. Share wins across internal channels.
For Workplaces
- Define clear goals: Choose one to two outcomes such as lifting inclusion literacy, increasing mentoring participation or identifying policy gaps.
- Secure visible sponsorship: Nominate an executive sponsor and a project lead with time and budget to deliver.
- Make access easy: Offer live, virtual and on demand options and schedule sessions across time zones.
- Design for action: End every activity with three next steps for employees and three next steps for leaders.
- Measure what matters: Use a short pulse before and after, track attendance, capture commitments and review policy updates one month later.
- Integrate with wellbeing strategy: Link activities to mental fitness, recovery and energy programs so habits stick. See our guidance on exercise and employee performance and mental fitness.
- Support leaders with skills: Provide practical toolkits for inclusive meetings, feedback and workload planning. Our article on building psychological safety for leadership is a good place to start.
- Plan the follow through: Publish the top five insights and the actions the business will take, with owners and dates.
- Consider ROI: Track changes in engagement, retention intent and participation in development pathways. Tie insights to your quarterly people metrics.
- Partner for impact: Bring in experts for evidence informed workshops and coaching to embed behaviour change.
Key Takeaways
- International Women’s Day activities at work are most effective when they lead to clear actions and policy follow through.
- Focus on inclusion skills, mentoring access and leadership accountability to shift both culture and performance.
- Design short, accessible formats with simple takeaways so busy teams can join and apply what they learn.
- Measure with a light touch pulse and report back so people see progress and trust grows.
- Link the day to your broader wellbeing and development strategy to build habits that last.
If you want expert support to design inclusive programs and energising activities that drive real change, get in touch with Better Being.
