We celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 of each year. However, for organizations that want to empower and honor their female employees, it should be a consistent priority all year.
This is the only way to ensure that a company’s well-intentioned initiatives can have sufficient time to bear fruit. Change takes time and this is no less true for organizations no matter their size.
If you want to institute lasting and meaningful change, we put together a few things you can do as well as tips for hosting corporate events for female employees.
Let’s get started!
Consider their needs
Women are hardworking. They’re mothers, wives, partners, homemakers, managers, CEOs, and business owners — sometimes all at the same time. By learning about their needs and the support you can give them, you’re honoring them and motivating them to be more committed to your company — affirming that they’ve made the right decision by joining you.
Relevant company policies keep in mind the needs of its employees. You should thus learn about policies that apply to single mothers, women of different races and cultures, married women, and other relevant guidelines. Find out how you can support them by offering appropriate policies and flexibility when necessary.
Start a dialogue
According to an article, nearly twice as many women joined the workforce in 2021 compared to men. Another source revealed that three out of four women have thought about leaving their jobs during the same year. Many of them cited burnout as the main reason.
Women comprise a large part of America’s workforce but the rates of dissatisfaction indicate that companies still have some way to go before they can offer a supportive environment for them.
The first step in responding to their needs is by finding out what their needs are. This can be done through a dialogue with women employees, focus group discussions, surveys, women-centered events, and more.
If you’ve been thinking about initiating more events for women, the next section features great ideas to help you get started.
Ideas for women-centered events
Sure, you could celebrate International Women’s Day with a bang every March but wouldn’t your workplace be more ideal for women if you hold regular events for them throughout the year?
Here are some examples of events you can host:
1. Q&As With Successful Women
Showcase women’s talents and emphasize their contribution to the business world by bringing together a group of successful women from various industries. They can connect with your employees on a deeper level, inspire them, share experiences, and address challenges women face.
2. Showcase your own female managers
You probably have your own share of inspiring female leaders in your company. Why not give them a chance to inspire and mentor fellow female colleagues? Plan a fun day where female employees can dive into their stories and how they overcame professional and personal challenges.
You can ask your women executives to participate while highlighting their contributions to the company.
3. Showcase women’s achievements
Whether in business, art, technology, and science, women have made important contributions in every major sector. Celebrate those achievements by commemorating them.
You could have a theme that highlights your own company’s industry like women in technology for an IT company. Whichever direction you decide to pursue, don’t forget to also highlight the accomplishments of women from your own organization.
It’s great for engagement, makes you more attractive as an employer, and boosts morale.
4. Organize a self-care event
The women in our lives are always busy taking care of everyone’s needs from their employers to their families and beyond. Show the women in your company that their needs are important too by holding a self-care event. After all, not all events have to be about work.
A self-care event can include lectures on time management, health and wellness, and managing stress. You can have a station where they can have massages, another where they can shop for and sample personal care products like essential oils, etc.
Self-care events are a great way to remind your female workforce that work-life balance is important while highlighting the fact that you care about their well-being.
5. Have an event that supports women’s organizations
Give back to the community by hosting events that raise funds and donates to women-oriented causes. Depending on your company, you can support an organization that advocates for women’s rights, support a local shelter for women, or perhaps donate to a nonprofit that supports their growth and development.
It’s not just about money either. You can also ask if your employees would like to donate their time by volunteering at these organizations.
There are so many ways you can do this. Many companies use creative campaigns to get their employees engaged in fundraising like matching their employees’ time and donations.
How do you promote your event? Use Women’s Day flyer templates
After all the planning, time, and effort you put into your women-themed events, don’t forget to factor in the marketing and communication timeline that needs to precede them. Even the best events won’t be half as successful if they aren’t announced and marketed properly.
Since most workplaces rely on digital communication, you can plan an online campaign to build up your event. Use ecards, online banners, digital posters, and flyers that are consistent with your upcoming event.
You can ask your Marketing and Communications Department as well as your Human Resources team to help with this. To save on time and resources, have them use women’s day flyer templates from PosterMyWall. Pick a flyer of your choice and customize it with your details. Once done, save and publish to your social media accounts or get a print out.
Conclusion: Celebrating Women’s Day every day
An organization that champions diversity and inclusion is considered a great place to work. This doesn’t happen by accident. It takes planning, resources, and time to establish yourself as a great employer that values its people, including women.
If you take a look at Forbes’ list of Best Employers for Women, you’ll notice that most if not all companies are well-known and well-respected. This shows that women in the workplace and their needs isn’t an agenda that can be ignored.
A few key things to remember in creating a workplace that’s friendly for women is to start a dialogue with them and to consider their needs. You can also have events that cater to women like:
- Q&As with successful women
- Showcasing your hardworking female managers
- Highlighting women’s achievements
- Organizing a self-care event, and
- Hosting an event that supports women’s organizations
If you celebrate and highlight women with regular events during the year, perhaps your next International Women’s Day celebration will be even more meaningful for the women in your organization.
Senior editor at PosterMyWall.
