5 Ways to Show Your Support on International Women's Day

What began in 1909 as a one-day event organized by the now-dissolved Socialist Party of America has morphed into a bona fide global movement. On March 8, individuals around the world celebrate International Women’s Day, a holiday that honors the accomplishments of women throughout history and aims to promote gender equality. For those looking to lend their support to the event and its mission, there are plenty of ways to do that—just a few of which are highlighted below.

1. Donate one hour’s salary.

With the “Your Hour Her Power” campaign, Dress for Success—a nonprofit organization that strives “to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life”—is encouraging people to donate one hour of their salaries this International Women’s Day. The funds will go toward programs that “help women find and maintain jobs, become financially educated, achieve self-care, and learn leadership skills,” according to BizJournals.com. You can donate here. Not sure how much money you make per hour? No problem: The site has a calculator to make figuring it out easy.

2. Set up an office fundraiser for the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

For several years, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS)—a global organization that gives more than 10 million young women in 150 countries the opportunity to "develop their leadership skills, speak out on issues that are important to them, and make changes in their communities and countries"—has been an official Charity of Choice of International Women's Day. While you can easily show your support of the organization and its mission by making an individual donation to WAGGGS, they've also created a (downloadable) package of promotional materials to help you spread the word among your colleagues and turn March 8 into an all-company fundraiser.

3. Shop at a woman-owned business.

Show female business owners your support this International Women’s Day. Consider shopping at a small business owned by a woman, making a purchase from a female-led Etsy store, or buying from a big retail business co-founded by a woman. US News and World Report suggests using the database at Women Owned as an easy way to figure out which companies are led by women.

4. Send someone flowers.

In certain parts of the world, including Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, and Uzbekistan, International Women's Day and Mother's Day are one in the same, with children presenting their mothers and grandmothers with flowers and other small tokens of love and appreciation. While Mother's Day isn't until May here, that doesn't mean you still can't show Mom—or any other special woman in your life—that you're thinking of her with a fresh bouquet of flowers on International Women's Day. If you order them from The Bouq's Company, you can also ensure that those flowers will come directly from a female-run farm. And if you use the promotional code WOMENSDAY20, you can save 20 percent.

5. Buy some foundation.

On International Women’s Day, Yensa Beauty will launch its “Live Your Yen” campaign, a partnership with eight women from a number of industries to benefit Dress for Success. The brand will donate a portion of its profits from the sales of its new BC Foundation—a BB-CC blend with sunscreen that smooths fine lines, pores, and wrinkles and comes in eight shades, from fair cool to deep warm—to the organization. Plus, for every BC Foundation purchased, Yensa will also donate a foundation to Dress for Success. So you can look good and feel good this International Women’s Day.