Strategies to Empower Women at Workplaces During Women’s History Month

March is the month when Women’s History Month is celebrated to acknowledge the critical roles played by women. Women across the globe have promoted progress and shaped nations in transformative ways.

Women’s History Month is a great chance for organizations to honor remarkable women employees, who have contributed towards the success of your company. This is the time to celebrate their patience, sacrifices, resilience, confidence, and determination.

Here is a guide that denotes the significance and scope of Women’s History Month at work and how to honor Women’s History Month.

About Women’s History Month

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Women’s History Month is a celebration held every year in March. This special duration is a chance to highlight women’s achievements in history, culture, and society. Since 1987, Women’s History Month has been about acknowledging the contributions of women which serves as a reminder of the achievements of women across various fields. This day inspires future generations to strive for progress!

Also Read: Women Business Leaders You Should Know About Leading Great Teams

History of Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month started as a celebration to commemorate women who shaped U.S. history. Iconic leaders like Abigail Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and Rosa Parks have achieved demonstrated their power and ability in the United States.

In 1978, Women’s History Month started as a week-long celebration that was launched by the school district of Sonoma, California. In 1980, the first presidential proclamation was made by President Jimmy Carter.This was followed by announcing the week of March 8th as National Women’s History Week.

In 1981, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution to call for a national celebration. In 1987, the celebration expanded to the entire month of March promoted by the National Women’s History Project.

International Women’s Day, which is celebrated across the globe on March 8th since 1911, was recognized by the United Nations in 1975.

The 2024 theme for Women’s History Month celebrates “Women Who Advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” which revolves around eliminating bias and discrimination.

Women’s History Month Activities at Work to Honor Women

Women’s History Month is a time when businesses and organizations can focus on women’s empowerment and gender equality. It is the time when organizations can honor the spirit of women who have shaped the future of workplaces.

Here are some of the best Women’s History Month ideas for work!

Learning and Recognition

1. Spotlight History Makers

Out of all the Women’s History Month activities, the most critical one is to raise awareness about this special day and garner support and engagement from employees during these celebrations. Companies can follow strategies like:

• Empower Women with Knowledge: Spread information about Women’s History Month through blogs and videos and offer women employees a platform to express themselves.
• Leveraging Internal Communication Channels: Leaders can initiate campaigns to announce and consolidate efforts for Women’s History Month celebrations. They can circulate emails or newsletters highlighting organizational activities, collaboration opportunities, and team initiatives about the campaign.
• Showcasing Notable Women: Organizations must highlight prominent women in the industry or the company through detailed profiles and showcase their achievements and impact.
• Women Mentorship and Education Initiatives: Organizations can offer access to online courses and internal training sessions based on gender equality and diversity.
• Physical Displays and Recognition: Establish an office “Hall of Fame” to honor notable women or introduce special awards to recognize outstanding female employees for their contributions during Women’s History Month.

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2. Host Educational Events

Organizations must host virtual, in-person, and hybrid educational events to encourage awareness and participation among employees to commemorate Women’s History Month at work. Here’s how organizations can make an effective impact:

• Engage Through Volunteering Activities: Offer volunteering opportunities to employees, promote a sense of purpose, and build connections within the workplace.
• Organize Lunch-and-Learn Sessions: Host sessions on diverse topics throughout the month.
• Sponsor Summits, Workshops, and Networking Events: Provide opportunities for female employees to attend leadership workshops and networking events. Help them enhance their skills and make efforts to improve engagement.
• Host Guest Speakers: Arrange educational talks by prominent women focusing on topics like gender sensitization, inclusion, women’s empowerment, historical contributions, and overcoming challenges in diverse fields.
• Organize Workshops and Talks: Invite guest speakers, including female leaders and historians, for integral discussions and panel sessions.
• Use Virtual Platforms: Utilize virtual platforms for webinars and interactive sessions, including polls and Q&A segments, and hands-on learning and networking opportunities.

Also Read: How To Add More Women in Leadership Roles

3. Women’s History Month Trivia

Organize entertaining trivia games and quizzes to promote awareness about Women’s History Month. Here’s a step-by-step process to strategize it:

Step 1. Plan the Trivia Event: Choose a convenient date and time and give it 60-90 minutes.

Step 2. Create Trivia Questions: Include diverse topics such as historical figures, industry leaders, cultural icons, and current events. Use various question types like MCQs, true or false, fill in the blanks, and picture rounds.

Step 3. Organize the Event: Start by selecting a charismatic host and choosing the best trivia platforms for virtual events or printed question sheets.

Step 4. Engage Participants: Promote the event thoroughly among employees and offer incentives like prizes to encourage participation.

Step 5. Execute the Event: Explain the rules and format of the trivia, present questions with set time limits, maintain engagement, track scores accurately, and announce winners.

Step 6. Post-Event Follow-up: Express appreciation to participants, collect feedback via surveys, and share event highlights through social media posts or trivia recaps.

Action and Empowerment

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4. Highlight Employee Benefits

It is essential to declare, initiate, or highlight the benefits and programs that support women in the workplace. This shows the company’s dedication to gender equality. Here’s how to effectively showcase these initiatives:

• Communicate Existing Benefits: Explain parental leave policies, and highlight the success of existing benefits through testimonials from employees who have benefited.
• Introduce and Promote Mentorship Programs: Promote mentorship programs for women and share success stories and speed mentoring sessions to facilitate meaningful connections.
• Create and Distribute Educational Materials: Update employee handbooks with detailed sections on women-centric benefits and design infographics for visual representation. Produce explainer videos and webinars and update the intranet with resources about women-centric benefits.

5. Partner with Women-Owned Businesses

Collaborating with women-owned businesses is one of the best Women’s History Month ideas for work to empower female entrepreneurs. Here’s how to process such Women’s History Month activities:

Step 1: Find local women-owned businesses through directories or online platforms.

Step 2: Consider specialty catering options or look for women-owned suppliers for office essentials and promote sustainability.

Step 3: You can also arrange creative workshops or fitness classes led by women entrepreneurs to enhance team bonding.

Step 4: Feature stories and profiles of female entrepreneurs to showcase their journeys and achievements. Incentivize support by offering discounts or vouchers for women-owned businesses.

Also Read: Next Generation Women Leaders in the world – 2024

6. Employee Recognition

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Acknowledge the accomplishments of female employees to observe Women’s History Month in the workplace. Here’s how to recognize women employees during this month at work:

• Define clear criteria for recognition categories like leadership, innovation, and community service.
• Implement various awards like Employee of the Month
• Provide tangible incentives for motivation.
• Dedicate sections on social media, blogs, or internal email circulations or newsletters to spotlight female employees’ achievements.
• Set up physical recognition boards in common areas of the office and host monthly award ceremonies to recognize female employees’ achievements.
• Arrange informal gatherings like luncheons or coffee breaks for colleagues to celebrate together.
• Implement programs for shout-outs or badges and use digital recognition platforms for peer-to-peer acknowledgment and rewards.

Community and Impact

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7. Volunteer Together

Plan a volunteer day during Women’s History Month to aid organizations that are built for women’s empowerment or social justice. It helps employees with an opportunity to support these causes and encourages teamwork and community spirit. Here’s how to execute it effectively:

• Step 1. Select the Right Organization: Research local groups, like women’s shelters, empowerment programs, or health organizations.
• Step 2. Plan the Volunteer Day: Choose a suitable date and provide advance notice to employees. Communicate the purpose of the volunteer day through internal channels.
• Step 3. Execute the Volunteer Day: Begin with an orientation session, organize team activities, and ensure a smooth execution of tasks.
• Step 4. After the Event: Hold a debriefing session to reflect on the experience and gather feedback. Stay connected with the organization for future opportunities and consider such forms of assistance throughout the year.

8. Donate to a Women’s Charity

Organizations can collaborate with a women’s charity and showcase its commitment to women’s causes. There are several domestic and international women’s charities that focus on eradicating challenges faced by women.

Leaders can promote such women’s charity campaigns through internal channels, and post regular updates on their progress. Make the most of social media platforms to post infographics and videos related to the campaign. Inspire employees to donate and in the end, send personalized thank-you notes to donors. Make a final announcement after the charity and share the total amount raised and the charity’s impact.

Also Read: How Can Women Advance in HR Leadership

Social Media Engagement

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9. Social Media Campaigns

Women’s History Month presents an opportunity for organizations to promote awareness using social media engagement. Organizations can choose primary social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, etc., that have high engagement rates and ensure consistent branding. Here are some best practices:

• Develop Compelling and Interactive Content: Craft relevant content around themes like historical figures, employee spotlights, and industry leaders through captions, quotes, stories, images, and videos.
• Engage Employees: Encourage participation by sharing personal stories and experiences and utilizing designated hashtags.
• Promote the Campaign: Maintain a consistent posting schedule with interactive content to drive engagement.
• Measure and Share Impact: Track engagement metrics like likes, shares, and comments and share a summary report highlighting key metrics.
• Campaign Hashtags: Utilize hashtags like #CompanyNameWomensHistory for campaign posts or include broader hashtags like #WomensHistoryMonth to reach a wider audience.

10. Employee Spotlights

White, green, and purple hues were adopted by suffragettes as the official color of Women’s History Month. Incorporating these theme colors can enhance your social media campaign’s visibility and impact.

• Showcase female employees through interviews, blogs, and awards on social media
• Reinforce the company’s commitment to diversity and conduct engaging volunteering and team-building activities.
• These initiatives sensitize employees and encourage a culture of support and collaboration.

Also Read: Empowering Women in the Workplace: Strategies for Supporting Female Employees

Conclusion

Women’s History Month provides an excellent opportunity for to organizations recognize women’s contributions. Leaders and stakeholders must launch celebratory campaigns and give opportunities to women to voice their opinions and share ideas. Organizations must highlight employee spotlights during Women’s History Month to celebrate women’s achievements. This is the time to maximize engagement by honoring women’s achievements within the organization.

Through initiatives like mentorship programs, you can empower women by enhancing their skills, knowledge, and career scope. Help them excel in their careers and break through barriers this Women’s History Month, which is the best time to celebrate progress and inspire future generations.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to honor Women’s History Month?

There are several ways in which organizations can celebrate Women’s History Month at work. Leaders can start by highlighting women’s achievements through events and spotlights. It is equally important to initiate mentorship programs to enhance their learning, skills, and knowledge.

Conduct recognition programs and highlight women’s contributions. Further companies can make donations to charitable organizations focused on women’s issues. It is a substantial month for organizations to enhance DEI-related activities revolving around gender equality and inclusion.

Choose Engagedly as your preferred partner and get expert advice and help on how you can make Women’s History Month a remarkable celebration within your organization. You can make the most of employee mentorship programs and encourage employee engagement by collaborating with our professionals

2. Who is an example of Women’s History Month?

There are several examples of Women who are remembered and appreciated on Women’s History Month. Some of the most important ones are:

• Anthony, a women equality fighter in the mid-19th century
• Harriet Tubman, a spy who freed slaves during the Civil War
• Amelia Earhart, one of the world’s first female pilots
• Rosa Parks, who encouraged the Civil Rights Movement

3. What are the symbols of Women’s History Month?

Symbols include the colors white, green, and purple. You can further use hashtags, captions, and quotes related to women’s empowerment, the Venus symbol, and icons of influential women in history.

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