How to Celebrate International Women's Day as a Student

Here's how to celebrate this International Women's Day 👇

With International Women’s Day on the horizon, we want to make sure you celebrate in style. To give you a hand, we’ve put together a list of the best ways you can make the most of the celebration.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is held on March 8th every year, and is a global day celebrating the social, cultural, economic and political achievements of women around the globe. The day is devoted to achieving gender equality, promoting the empowerment of women and celebrating female role models.

The UN estimates that women only make 77 cents to every dollar that men earn. Additionally, only 4% of women are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Things need to change, and IWD is devoted to supporting women to do so. It aims to help support women in tech, sport, work, creative fields, their health, and as entrepreneurs. 

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is #EachforEqual. The theme encourages us to actively choose to “challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women’s achievements”. 

With events going on around the globe this International Women’s Day, there are tonnes of ways you can get involved, or celebrate with your pals. Here are our top ways to spend the day.

Raise awareness

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is #EachforEqual. The small act of using this hashtag on your Insta can collectively lead to a big change. Through raising awareness of the impact of IWD, more and more voices are heard. So, this Sunday, share the hashtag on your social media to get the word out there.

Join an event

Grab your pals (even the boys) and check your local events or marches. International Women's Day has events up and down the country, and there’s bound to be one near you (or if not, why not organise your own?). It’s a great way to make new friends, get together with your current ones, and celebrate women collectively. If you’re looking for some event inspo, why not head to WOW? This year is the 10th anniversary of the Women of the World festival, which is going on this weekend. Take a look here.

Celebrate women in film

From Wonder Woman to Clueless, some of the best films are directed by women, acted by women, or about women. Why not work your way through the BBC’s 100 greatest films directed by women? Or pick some faves from Harpers Bazaar’s list of 30 essential feminist movies? Whatever you choose, grab some popcorn and a cuppa and immerse yourselves in the world of women in film.

Offer your time

Whether it’s volunteering through your university, or raising money for a local women’s shelter, donating your time is a great way to celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day. Have a look at your student union’s website to see what they offer when it comes to volunteering, or ask your friends if they know anyone who’s looking for a hand. Even just helping out for a few hours can make a big difference.

Support a local female-run business

Running a small business can be difficult, so giving your support to local independent shops is crucial. Why not head down to a local, female-run business for brunch this International Women’s Day? Or head to a local florist to buy some flowers, rather than going to the supermarket? Let the shopkeeper know you’re a fan of what they have to offer by showing them some support.

Send a card to a lady you love

Sending a card is a great way to let your loved ones know you appreciate them. Whether you send a card to your grandma, or write some out to your gal pals, celebrate the women in your life who inspire you. You could even go a step further and take them out for some brunch (who doesn’t love that?).