March 8 is International Women’s Day, an annual celebration across the world that honors the achievements and contributions of women, while challenging the discrimination and oppression they continue to face.
Celebrated during the second week of Women’s History Month in the United States, International Women’s Day reminds us to be even more mindful and welcoming of women from all continents, countries, and communities.
Historically, women of color, transgender women, and queer women have been subjected to even more harmful and isolating oppression than their white, cisgender sisters, and in America and beyond, we implore you to approach all of your celebrations with intersectionality and intention.
And it is especially important to do so in 2026, as our leaders make blatantly misogynistic remarks, survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking face ongoing injustice, and immigrant women across the U.S. are subject to violence and authoritarianism.
Current events may seem bleak, but International Women’s Day is an opportunity to uplift and support women and girls, not just in the U.S., but across the globe, in their ongoing fight for liberation.
While it’s important to learn more about and uplift the experiences of all women every single day, it’s helpful to have somewhere to start. We’ve created a guide on how to celebrate International Women’s Day this year.
By the way, some of the links in this article (like books!) are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!
Activities and Ideas To Honor International Women’s Day
Learn
Watch a documentary about women’s rights.
Documentaries make big, difficult topics easier to understand and digest. With a concept as enormous and encompassing as global gender equality, a documentary is a helpful place to start! Check out some of these films:
Read books about gender equality.
Building a library of knowledge from diverse lived experiences is a great way to celebrate the women of the world. Here are a few of our favorites:
- “Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot” by Mikki Kendall (Bookshop) (Amazon) (Libro.fm)
- “A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf (Bookshop) (Amazon) (Libro.fm)
- “Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics” by bell hooks (Bookshop) (Amazon) (Libro.fm)
- “Burn It Down! Feminist Manifestos for the Revolution” by Breanne Fahs (Bookshop) (Amazon)
- “Free Them All: A Feminist Call to Abolish the Prison System” by Gwenola Ricordeau (Bookshop) (Amazon)
- “Original Sins: The (Mis)Education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism” by Eve L. Ewing (Bookshop) (Libro.fm)
- “We Are Each Other’s Liberation: Black and Asian Feminist Solidarities” by Jaimee A. Swift, Td Tso, and Rachel Kuo (Bookshop) (Amazon)
Add some new podcasts to your queue.
To be honest, in day-to-day life, there’s not often a problem that a good podcast episode can’t fix. Here are a few pods to tune into this International Women’s Day.
Learn about the challenges women and girls face around the world.
There are a lot of overlapping and intersecting challenges nearly all women and girls face: Reproductive injustice, economic inequality, and ongoing discrimination among them.
However, on International Women’s Day, it’s important to learn more about the experiences of women all across the globe. Here are a few resources and learning materials for your educational pursuits:
Read good news about women.
While there are certainly challenges women across the globe are confronting, there are also countless solutions. We’re all about good news at Good Good Good, so here are some of our favorite stories about women to inspire you and help you learn something new.
Plus: Even more good news about women
You may also like: Quotes for International Women’s Day
Take Action
Donate to organizations around the world that support women and girls.
Do your part to support women and girls in your community and on the other side of the planet by making a donation.
Any amount you can give is meaningful, and if you can, setting up a recurring donation can make a huge impact, all while saving you time in the long run.
Shop from women-owned and women-led businesses.
If you care about thoughtful, sustainable, and ethical businesses — and want to help bridge the gender gap in business — there’s no better time to make a difference than International Women’s Day.
Check out our ultimate guide to women-owned businesses that give back and do good.
Celebrate
Attend an International Women’s Day event.
Check out local event calendars for International Women’s Day events, fundraisers, or service projects near you. You can also check out some virtual events, too!
The best way to do this? Visit the International Women’s Day website to search for events (online and in-person) near you. Planning your own event? Grab an official event pack.
Have a dance party to an IWD playlist.
If you don’t listen to “Run The World (Girls)” by Beyonce at least once this month, you may need to reevaluate your celebrations. Lucky for you, nearly every women’s empowerment playlist includes this song.
Check out Spotify, Apple Music, or TIDAL for a playlist to use as your International Women’s Day soundtrack.
Have a women filmmakers movie marathon.
Grab the snacks, snuggle up with a blanket, and stream or rent some movies made by women filmmakers.
- Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao
- Little Women, directed by Greta Gerwig
- Lady Bird, directed by Greta Gerwig
- Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig
- The Farewell, directed by Lulu Wang
- Booksmart, directed by Olivia Wilde
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire, directed by Céline Sciamma
- Sorry, Baby, directed by Eva Victor
- KPop Demon Hunters, directed by Maggie Kang
At Work / In Office
Invest in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Especially in an age of cuts to DEI programming, making a commitment to improving your workplace takes real effort.
Consider hiring a DEI specialist, or check out the resources from The Diversity Gap, an organization that coaches race-conscious leaders and teams — including their podcast and book.
Volunteer with or match employee donations to a nonprofit.
Connect with a local nonprofit or a chapter of a national organization and see how you can volunteer as a team on International Women’s Day (and the rest of the year, too). Your crew definitely deserves a paid volunteer day, and what better way to celebrate than by helping others?
You can also provide a list of nonprofits that your employees can support — and match their donations to make an even bigger impact.
At School / With Students
Read books and poems by women writers — and then discuss them.
Create a lesson plan, activity, or reading assignment centered around a book or poem by a woman writer. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, cool aunt, or any other trusted adult, this is a great way to learn together and build lasting bonds for the young people in your life.
Not sure what to read? Check out some ideas below for kids and YA books:
- “The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne” by Lesa Cline-Ransome (Bookshop) (Amazon)
- “Jane Against the World: Roe v. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights” by Karen Blumenthal (Bookshop) (Amazon)
- “Spring After Spring: How Rachel Carson Inspired The Environmental Movement” by Stephanie Roth Sisson (Bookshop) (Amazon)
- “She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed The World” by Chelsea Clinton (Bookshop) (Amazon)
Talk about sex and gender.
Unfortunately, across the country, we are seeing widespread attempts to dismantle and suppress comprehensive sex education and gender-affirming policies in schools.
While we can all do our part to advocate for accurate and affirming sex ed, teachers and trusted adults have the opportunity to have helpful and honest conversations about gender, sexuality, and consent with young people.
We know these conversations can be difficult to navigate, but there are loads of helpful resources out there!
The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission has a great guide to talking to young children about gender, and psychotherapist Esther Perel has created a robust list of sexual and relational health resources for all ages.
Discuss the importance of women’s access to education.
If your young ones are privileged enough to be learning about International Women’s Day in school, it’s important to discuss the state of girls’ education around the globe.
Be intentional to include lessons and conversations about girls’ global education, why access to opportunities matters, and what people are doing about it.
Malala Fund is a great place to start for resources and initiatives.
On Social Media
Follow & amplify the voices of diverse women creators outside of your bubble.
International Women’s Day provides a unique opportunity to find more diverse women creators to add to your feed.
Follow new creators, and make sure you introduce your network to new voices, too! Be sure to share, comment, and support all the new folks you follow. (A Venmo payment or newsletter subscription upgrade goes a long way!)
Help end the cycle of gender-based harassment online.
Life online does have its share of unpleasant interactions, but women and girls are often the most at risk for cyberbullying.
In fact, there’s a term for it. Cybermisogyny or cybersexism, according to the Women’s Media Center, is specifically gendered abuse targeted at women and girls online. It incorporates sexism, racism, religious prejudice, homophobia, and transphobia. And it must be stopped.
Check out nonprofit Take Back The Tech for resources on personal online safety, supporting survivors, and how we can end gender-based online harassment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we celebrate International Women’s Day?
International Women’s Day is devoted to celebrating the achievements of women, while also fighting for gender equality, across the globe. This holiday aims to honor the impact of women worldwide and encourages people to challenge gender stereotypes, discrimination, and oppression.
Why is International Women’s Day celebrated on March 8?
In February of 1909, 15,000 female labor activists marched in New York City for equal rights. The following year, activist Clara Zetkin called for an International Women’s Day at the Second International Conference of Working Women. It was unanimously approved, and the date was fixed as March 8 in 1913.
What is the 2026 theme for International Women’s Day?
In 2026, the International Women’s Day organization has designated the theme as “Give to Gain” — with the goal of amplifying generosity and collaboration to help achieve gender equality. Meanwhile, the United Nations has designated the 2026 theme as “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”
