International Women’s Day: Practical ideas for small businesses

International Women’s Day (IWD) is more than a date in the calendar. It’s a chance for businesses of all sizes to reflect, take action and show genuine support for gender equality. Whether you’re running a small team or building a growing company, how you choose to mark the day can say a lot about your values and workplace culture.

As a Mindful Employer, Rapid Formations values and promotes diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. So, helping small business owners find practical ways to celebrate IWD on 8 March and beyond is something we feel strongly about.

In this guide, we’ll share practical, achievable ways to celebrate International Women’s Day at work and explain how you can turn one day of recognition into meaningful, year-round progress.

What is International Women’s Day, and why does it matter for your business?

International Women’s Day falls on 8 March and is a worldwide celebration of female achievements while promoting gender equality. It’s a global event that:

• Honours women’s cultural, political and social accomplishments and contributions.
• Advocates for every woman and girl’s right to safety and equality.
• Unites communities and helps spread awareness about important issues.
• Encourages action among influential parties, including small business owners, who can accelerate genuine, long-term change.

While we should strive to strengthen these ideals every day, IWD specifically addresses them. Even though IWD has existed for over a century and significant progress has been made over the years, there’s still more to do to create a safe and fair society for all.

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What is the theme for International Women’s Day 2026?

IWD highlights a different theme each year to focus on various empowerment actions behind the movement. The IWD 2026 campaign theme is ‘Give to Gain’, which encourages individuals and organisations to contribute meaningfully towards advancing gender equality in workplaces and communities worldwide.

Why International Women’s Day matters in the workplace

IWD is about both recognition and progress. In the UK, gender equality remains an important issue across many sectors. Although progress has been made, challenges such as the gender pay gap, underrepresentation in senior leadership, and unequal access to development opportunities continue to affect workplaces.

For business owners and company directors, marking IWD can help to:

• Show employees that inclusion and fairness are priorities
• Strengthen employer branding and attract diverse talent
• Support wider workplace gender equality initiatives
• Build trust with customers, partners, and stakeholders
• Encourage open discussion about culture, opportunity, and progression

Even small teams can make a meaningful contribution. Whether you employ a handful of people or manage a growing workforce, recognising IWD shows that your business genuinely cares about gender equality.

How to celebrate International Women’s Day in the workplace

Is this your company’s first time celebrating IWD, or are you stuck for ideas on how to mark the event in your workplace? Here are a few activity ideas to consider.

1. Attend an International Women’s Day event

If you’re looking for active ways to get involved, why not attend an IWD event? The International Women’s Day website has an events directory, which you can browse by country and city. You’ll find a variety of free, paid, virtual, and in-person activities for you and your employees to participate in before, on, and after 8 March.

Virtual events

Virtual events are a great way to bring your whole team together, especially if you work across different locations or have hybrid or remote staff. You could organise a shared viewing session, followed by an informal team discussion.

For example, one of the events listed for 5 March is IWD 2026 Stronger Together: The Power of Collaboration. This event is all about celebrating teamwork and exploring how people can support each other to make progress on gender equality in practical ways.

If you’re looking for something that’s specifically about building confidence and leadership skills, consider the IWD 2026 event Say It Like You Mean It on 6 March. It focuses on communication and presentation skills, helping participants feel more confident and expressive when speaking up.

In-person events

In-person events can be a fun way to make IWD feel authentic and memorable. Larger conferences can offer a mix of talks, networking, and practical insights you can take back to your business.

For example, the Rise International Women’s Day Conference 2026 on 4 March 2026 brings together speakers and attendees to talk about inclusion, leadership, and how workplaces can be better for everyone. Sitting in on sessions like these can spark ideas you might want to try back at your office.

There are also local community-based events that are more informal and hands-on. One example is a free self-defence workshop happening around 8 March in Brixton. Participating in something like this as a team can help foster shared experiences and show that you care about wellbeing in a broader sense.

Internal events

You don’t have to attend an external event to get involved. Hosting something internally can be just as meaningful and allows you to tailor the day to your team.

You could plan:

• A lunch-and-learn on workplace gender equality
• A short panel or open team discussion
• A confidence or leadership workshop
• A fundraising activity for a women-focused charity
• An internal recognition campaign celebrating women in your business

If you need inspiration, download the free IWD Planning Toolkit to help you organise an engaging and inclusive activity.

While some IWD events are designed especially for women, the ethos of IWD is that it ‘belongs to all who care about gender equality’. So, whatever you plan, make it open to anyone who wants to get involved. Organising an inclusive activity helps reinforce that gender equality is a shared goal for everyone on your team.

2. Partner with a women-focused charity

IWD is an excellent opportunity to make a real difference by supporting a women-focused charity. It shows your organisation is serious about backing women and girls, not just talking about it. This is especially relevant in 2026 with this year’s theme, ‘Give to Gain’.

Choosing the right charity

Across the UK, many inspiring organisations are doing vital work for women and girls. Choosing a charity that genuinely connects with your team and audience will make your IWD activity far more meaningful.

For example, Women’s Aid supports women and children affected by domestic abuse. The Fawcett Society campaigns for gender equality and fairer policies. Smart Works helps women gain the confidence, clothing, and coaching they need to succeed in interviews and move into employment.

The IWD Giving directory features verified charities worldwide, and the search tool on the landing page makes it easy to filter by location or cause to find a charity that aligns with your organisation.

Showing your support

Here are some practical ways to support your chosen charity:

• Offer financial support: You could donate a portion of your sales, sponsor projects and events, or encourage your customers and employees to contribute.
• Raise awareness: Feature your chosen charity on your website and social media channels. This will help educate your online visitors about the charity and your partnership and encourage them to get involved.
• Organise an event: Host internal fundraisers and networking events, asking employees to donate to your chosen charity. Also, organise volunteering days for staff to visit your charity partner, learn about their work, and contribute hands-on support to their cause.

3. Share a thoughtful social media message

A simple but effective way to celebrate IWD is to share a social media post. Done thoughtfully, this can be a powerful way to share your company values, raise awareness, and engage meaningfully with your audience.

However, there are certain dos and don’ts to keep in mind when sharing IWD content publicly.

Do:

• Spotlight your female employees and colleagues, and the work they do in and out of the workplace.
• Connect with your audience by sharing your story if you’re a female founder
• Acknowledge the women who inspire you in your personal and professional life.
• Re-post powerful IWD posts, stories, and videos you’ve seen online.
• Highlight your company’s charitable efforts and community involvement that help empower the women around you.
• Practice what you preach. For example, don’t post about equal pay unless your company actually offers it.

Don’t:

• Activate aggressive discounts or promotions on IWD. This can come across as insensitive or overly profit-focused.
• Use poorly chosen or tokenistic imagery.
• Treat International Women’s Day purely as a PR or marketing opportunity without meaningful action behind it

If you need a hand, use these ready-made IWD 2026 social media cards. Follow the provided templates using #IWD2026 and #GiveToGain to ensure your messaging is aligned, respectful, and on theme.

Example: Missguided gets it wrong

To illustrate the difference between performative and authentic messaging, consider this example from the fashion brand Missguided on X (formerly Twitter).

The post received mixed responses. While some users supported the sentiment, others criticised the brand for its reported 40% gender pay gap at the time. Giving away cash prizes was also perceived by some as a marketing stunt, rather than meaningful action.

Example: Not On The High Street gets it right

In contrast, this Instagram post from the small business marketplace Not On The High Street offers a more thoughtful approach.

This post perfectly captures the essence of the NOTHS brand while highlighting their incredible female-led small-business partners. It’s simple but impactful, and the caption promotes positive user engagement.

5. Invite a guest speaker to inspire your team

Bringing in a guest speaker is a great way to engage and educate your team on IWD. This could be a female business owner, a women’s rights activist, or an expert from a relevant social organisation.

The intention is for a guest speaker to share real-life experiences, struggles, triumphs, and advice with your employees. Facilitating these open and honest discussions can help the women in your business feel safe, supported, and confident to speak up about their own challenges.

You can host guest speakers in person or virtually, making this an accessible opportunity for remote, hybrid, and office-based workers.

Promote learning through educational resources

Sharing educational resources is a meaningful way to celebrate IWD while encouraging awareness, empowerment and inclusion across your workplace.

This could include books, audiobooks, podcasts, videos, quotes, infographics, social posts or articles. There are plenty of free and low-cost options available, so it’s easy to create something that suits your team and budget.

Here are some recommended IWD reads and audiobooks to get you started:

• Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed by Men, Caroline Criado Perez
• The Authority Gap: Why Women Are Still Taken Less Seriously Than Men, and What We Can Do About It, Mary Ann Sieghart
• Secret Missions of the Suffragettes: Glass Breakers and Safe Houses, Jennifer Godfrey
• Back Talk, Danielle Lazarin
• She Speaks: Women’s Speeches that Changed the World, Yvette Cooper
• We Should All Be Feminists, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Attack of the Fifty-Foot Women: How Gender Equality Can Save the World!, Catherine Mayer
• Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot, Mikki Kendall
• Girl, Woman, Other, Bernardine Evaristo
• Feminist History for Every Day of the Year, Kate Mosse

If podcasts are more your style, you might enjoy The Worst Girl Gang Ever, The Guilty Feminist, or Woman’s Hour. Offering a mix of formats makes it easier for everyone to engage in a way that suits them, whether that’s reading, listening or sharing with colleagues.

Or if you’re looking to share an inspirational quote with your teams or direct them to a motivational figure, we caught up with Kelly Chandler, founder of Kelly Chandler Consulting, venue expert, and high-end customer experience consultant, about what IWD means to her as a female entrepreneur.

Here’s what she said:

As an entrepreneur, I know that my brain – and the brains of many of my fellow businesswomen – is busy rushing ahead, creating the next thing, looking to future goals. But International Women’s Day is a day to take stock, to pause, to reflect on how far we’ve come and to celebrate not just our own endeavours in business, but women’s success in the world in general. It’s a day that I love to champion my fellow women in business.

How to make gender equality a year-round priority

Celebrating IWD and standing for women’s rights should be an ongoing effort. Below are five additional steps you can take if you’re looking for more long-term strategies to boost awareness and your organisation’s diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.

1. Run a gender pay gap audit

Despite efforts to ensure equal pay for men and women, the gender pay gap remains one of the most persistent challenges in the fight for women’s rights. IWD helps expose income inequality and calls on employers to take meaningful steps towards fixing it.

According to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, the UK gender pay gap for all employees was 12.8% in April 2025, down slightly from 13.1% in 2024. For full-time employees, the gap stands at 6.9%. Among part-time workers, there’s a slight negative gap of -2.9%, largely due to workforce patterns, including the higher proportion of women in part-time roles. The gap is narrowing, but it hasn’t disappeared, and it still requires consistent attention.

How to run a gender pay gap audit in a small business

Even small businesses can run a meaningful gender pay gap review without complex systems or external consultants. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to get you started.

Running a gender pay gap audit might feel daunting, but it’s crucial for finding out where you stand and taking steady, informed steps towards a more equitable workplace.

2. Set up a women’s mentorship programme

Another idea is to provide mentorship for female employees. Mentorship is when an experienced individual (the mentor) provides guidance and advice to a mentee, helping them grow personally and professionally. Mentorship programmes can be group or one-to-one, short- or long-term, and formal or informal.

If you’re not sure where to start, keep it simple. You could:

• Pair senior leaders with junior female team members for six-month mentoring cycles.
• Run small group mentoring sessions focused on leadership, confidence or career progression.
• Invite external female leaders to mentor high-potential employees.
• Create peer mentoring circles where women at similar career stages support one another

A well-structured mentorship programme can help bridge diversity gaps, boost confidence and provide valuable insight into career progression. It also signals that your business is committed to developing female talent and creating clearer pathways to leadership.

3. Provide training and development opportunities

Training and development opportunities give employees practical ways to build their skills, grow in confidence and progress in their roles. In honour of IWD, consider introducing new development initiatives or expanding the ones you already offer.

Here are a few initiatives to consider:

1. Personal Development Allowance: Offer a modest annual budget employees can use for courses, workshops or conferences to support their growth.
2. Book Allowance: Provide a quarterly or annual book budget to encourage continuous learning and professional development.
3. Shared Learning Subscription: Give the team access to a cost-effective online learning platform, such as Udemy Business or FutureLearn, for flexible, self-paced skill-building.
4. Part-Funded Qualifications: Contribute towards relevant certifications or provide paid study time to support career progression.
5. In-House Skill Sessions: Run informal lunch-and-learns or invite guest speakers to share knowledge and build confidence internally.

Investing in development can boost job satisfaction, increase confidence, support overall wellbeing and help create a more inclusive workplace culture where everyone feels valued and supported.

Make sure opportunities are accessible to all employees and that everyone has a fair and equal chance to grow, progress and be recognised for their contribution to the success of the business.

4. Introduce flexible working policies

Balancing work and childcare is a major challenge for many working mothers in the UK. High childcare costs, limited maternity pay and caring responsibilities can place real pressure on families and affect women’s careers.

According to the 2026 Modern Families Index, almost 29% of working parents report very high stress levels, and 77% say this sometimes makes it hard to function at work. Mothers are 50% more likely than fathers to say that having children has negatively affected their career. Around 21% of employees have used sick leave to manage care emergencies, highlighting the strain many families are under.

Earlier research by the Fawcett Society with Totaljobs found that 41% of working mothers have turned down promotions due to childcare pressures, and 11% have left their jobs for this reason, highlighting how these challenges directly affect progression and retention.

When asked what would make the biggest difference, flexible working consistently ranks among the most valued forms of support.