International Women's Day Gift Ideas for the Workplace: the ultimate guide

International Women's Day falls on 8th March every year, and for HR and People teams, the question is always the same: how do we mark this in a way that's genuinely meaningful - not performative, not tokenistic, and not just another email with a purple banner? 

If you've read our take on why flowers are not a great IWD gift idea, you'll know we feel strongly about ditching the cliches. No placing a rose on everyone's desk, please.

This guide is the practical companion - everything you need to plan International Women's Day in the workplace in a way that's inclusive, thoughtful, and actually worth doing.

A brief history of International Women's Day

International Women's Day has roots in labour movements and political activism dating back to the early 1900s. The first National Women's Day was observed in the United States in 1909, and the day became international in 1911, when over a million people across Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland rallied for women's rights to work, vote, and hold public office.

It's worth remembering this context. IWD isn't a soft celebration. It's a day rooted in the fight for equality - workers' rights, pay equity, political representation, and an end to discrimination.

That history should shape how your workplace approaches it. This isn't "women's appreciation day" - it's a moment to reflect on progress, acknowledge what's still broken, and take real action.

Who should you recognise on International Women's Day?

Here's where most companies get it wrong. The instinct is to send gifts only to women. But that approach raises more questions than it answers - and risks excluding the very people the day is meant to uplift.

Gender is a spectrum

Not everyone in your organisation identifies as a woman. Not everyone who identifies as a woman is out about it. Non-binary, genderqueer, genderfluid, and trans employees may or may not see themselves in International Women's Day, and assuming who "counts" puts you in deeply uncomfortable territory.

If you're sending gifts only to people your HR system has marked as female, you're making decisions based on data that may not reflect how people actually identify. That's not inclusive - it's reductive.

Intersectionality matters

The term intersectionality - coined by Professor Kimberle Crenshaw - describes how different aspects of a person's identity (race, gender, class, disability, sexuality, age) overlap and compound. A Black woman's experience of gender inequality is different from a white woman's. A disabled woman's experience is different again. A trans woman's experience is different again.

When you plan IWD recognition, think about whether your approach acknowledges this complexity or flattens it. There's not one way to be a woman, or one unified experience. 

Our recommendation: gift everyone, and channel your IWD spend with purpose

Rather than trying to decide who qualifies for an International Women's Day gift, consider a different approach entirely: recognise all your staff, regardless of gender identity.

Use IWD as a moment of collective recognition - thank your entire team for their contribution, celebrate the progress your organisation has made on equality, and use the occasion to bring people together rather than divide them into categories.

Then, if you want to make it specifically relevant to IWD, put your money where your mouth is by choosing gifts that support woman-owned brands and businesses. That way, the spend itself advances gender equality - without singling anyone out.

This approach:

• Avoids assumptions about who identifies as what
• Includes everyone in the celebration, regardless of gender identity
• Supports women economically through purchasing choices
• Feels genuine rather than performative
• Sidesteps the awkward question of "who gets a gift and who doesn't"

How to support woman-owned brands through gifting

If you're going to send gifts for IWD, make them count. One of the most tangible ways to support gender equality is to direct your gifting budget towards woman-owned businesses.

Through Huggg, you can browse gifts specifically from woman-owned brands - a dedicated section of the platform that makes it easy to channel your spend towards businesses founded and run by women.

This means you can:

• Send gifts to your whole team (inclusive, no gender gatekeeping)
• Choose brands that are woman-owned and woman-led (making the spend IWD-relevant)
• Let recipients choose exactly what they want (personal, not presumptuous)

It's recognition that does something real. Instead of a generic gesture, your IWD spend actively supports women in business.

Huggg also offers gift cards across eight different categories - coffee shops, retail, dining, takeaway, supermarkets, experiences, lunch, and more. Values range from £5 to £300, so you can match the gift to the occasion and your budget.

For teams where individual preferences vary widely, Gift with Choice takes it a step further - the recipient picks from a curated selection, so they always get something they actually want.

International Women's Day gift ideas for the workplace

If you are sending gifts - whether to everyone or specifically to mark IWD - here are ideas that go beyond flowers and chocolate.

Gift cards that support woman-owned brands

As above, this is the most IWD-aligned option. Send a gift from a woman-owned brand through Huggg and let the recipient choose how to use it. Practical, personal, and purposeful.

Experience-based gifts

Instead of physical products, offer experiences. These work particularly well because they create memories rather than clutter:

• Restaurant vouchers for a meal out
• Coffee shop gift cards for a weekday treat
• Activity or spa day vouchers (offered as one option among many, not as a default "pamper" gift)
• Theatre, cinema, or event tickets

Donations to causes that matter

Give people the option to direct their gift value towards a charity. Women's Aid, Bloody Good Period, Pregnant Then Screwed, Girls Who Code, or local women's charities - let your team choose which cause resonates with them.

For employees who'd rather their gift supported a good cause, Huggg even offers a charity shop gift card - so the recipient gets the joy of choosing something while knowing the money goes to charity.

Books by diverse authors

If your budget is smaller, a thoughtful book goes a long way. Consider titles by women, non-binary, and trans authors covering a range of perspectives - from memoir and fiction to business and leadership. Even better, buy them from an independent, woman-owned bookshop.

Time and flexibility

Sometimes the most valuable gift isn't a thing - it's time:

• An afternoon off
• A late start or early finish
• A "no meetings" day
• Flexible hours for the week

For people juggling work with caring responsibilities (which still disproportionately falls on women), time is genuinely more valuable than any gift card.

Learning and development opportunities

Invest in people's growth:

• Conference tickets or workshop registration
• Online course subscriptions
• Mentoring or coaching sessions
• Professional membership fees

This sends a clear message: we're investing in your future, not just giving you a token gesture.

International Women's Day activities for the workplace

Gifts are just one piece. Here are activities and initiatives that make IWD meaningful across your organisation.

Host a listening session (not a panel)

Panels are fine, but they put the burden on a few people to represent entire experiences. Instead, try a listening session - a facilitated, opt-in conversation where people share their experiences and perspectives in a safe space.

Ground rules: respect, confidentiality, no performative allyship. The goal is understanding, not optics.

Invite an external speaker

Bring in someone from outside your organisation - a founder, activist, author, or researcher - who can speak to gender equality, intersectionality, or the specific challenges facing women in your industry.

Pay them properly. Women (particularly women of colour, disabled women, and trans women) are disproportionately asked to do unpaid speaking work. If you're serious about IWD, budget for the speaker.

Run a skills-sharing workshop

Instead of a passive event, create something participatory. A negotiation skills workshop, a financial planning session, a leadership masterclass - something that gives people tools they can actually use.

Open it to everyone. The skills that help women navigate workplace inequality (negotiating pay, asserting boundaries, building networks) benefit everyone.

Spotlight woman-owned businesses

Use your internal channels to highlight woman-owned brands, local businesses, and suppliers. Share a curated list your team can support - not just on IWD, but throughout the year.

If you use Huggg's woman-owned brand section for your IWD gifting, share the story with your team. Let them know their gift card came from a woman-owned business and why that matters.

Commit to systemic change (publicly)

The most impactful thing you can do on IWD isn't a gift or an event - it's a commitment. Use the day to announce or recommit to:

• A gender pay gap audit (and publishing the results)
• Updated parental leave policies
• Flexible working improvements
• Mentoring and sponsorship programmes for underrepresented groups
• Inclusive recruitment practices
• A commitment to intersectional approaches, not just "women in leadership" metrics

If you did this last year, share what's changed since. Accountability matters more than announcements.

How to make your IWD approach inclusive

Use inclusive language

Avoid phrases like "ladies," "girls," or "the women on the team." Use "team," "colleagues," "everyone" - or, when referring to the focus of IWD, "women and people affected by gender inequality."

Acknowledge that gender is a spectrum and that IWD's relevance extends beyond cisgender women.

Don't assume who identifies how

If you're running IWD-specific programming (a speaker, a discussion group, a resource list), make it opt-in, not opt-out. Don't assume that everyone your HR system lists as female identifies as a woman, or that everyone who identifies as a woman is out about it.

Create space without creating pressure.

Centre intersectionality

If your IWD programming only reflects the experiences of white, middle-class, cisgender, non-disabled women, it's not truly inclusive. Actively seek out and amplify perspectives from:

• Women of colour
• Disabled women
• Trans and non-binary people
• Working-class women
• Women from different cultural and religious backgrounds
• Neurodivergent women

Intersectionality isn't a buzzword - it's the recognition that gender inequality doesn't affect everyone equally.

Involve your ERGs and employee networks

If you have employee resource groups (particularly women's networks, LGBTQ+ networks, and disability networks), involve them in planning. They'll have perspectives and ideas you haven't considered - and it ensures the day reflects your actual workforce, not just your leadership team's assumptions.

Make it accessible

Whatever you plan, make it accessible:

• Virtual options for remote and hybrid workers
• Captioning and sign language interpretation for events
• Wheelchair-accessible venues
• Content in accessible formats
• Quiet or low-stimulation alternatives for neurodivergent colleagues

If your IWD event isn't accessible, it's not inclusive.

What not to do on International Women's Day

We've covered this in depth in our opinion piece on IWD flowers, but here's the quick checklist:

• Don't send flowers by default. Not everyone likes them, and it's the laziest possible gesture.
• Don't assume all women want the same thing. Chocolate, bath bombs, and pink things are stereotypes, not gifts.
• Don't make it about "pampering." Self-care as an IWD gift shifts the burden of systemic inequality onto individuals.
• Don't only recognise cisgender women. IWD is about gender equality, and that includes everyone affected by gender-based discrimination.
• Don't do it without systemic action. A gift without policy change is performative. Pair recognition with real progress.
• Don't forget to pay your speakers. If you're inviting someone to share their expertise, compensate them fairly.
• Don't make attendance mandatory. Some people don't want to participate, and that's their right.

Planning timeline for IWD (8th March)

If you're reading this and wondering whether there's still time, here's a realistic timeline:

3 weeks before (mid February)

• Decide your approach: gifts, activities, or both
• Set a budget
• Consult ERGs and employee networks
• Brief any external speakers or facilitators

2 weeks before (late February)

• Finalise gift selection (woman-owned brands through Huggg, for example)
• Confirm event logistics (virtual/in-person, accessibility requirements)
• Draft internal communications

1 week before (early March)

• Send calendar invites for events
• Prepare any internal content (newsletter, Slack messages, intranet posts)
• Order gifts for delivery on or around 8th March

On the day (8th March)

• Send gifts with a personal, genuine message
• Run your planned activities
• Share your commitments to systemic change

After IWD

• Follow up on commitments
• Share what you learned
• Keep the conversation going throughout the year (not just in March)

FAQs

What are good International Women's Day gift ideas for the workplace?

The best IWD gift ideas go beyond cliches like flowers and chocolate. Consider gifts from woman-owned brands (available through platforms like Huggg), experience-based gifts, donations to women's charities, books by diverse authors, or time-based gifts like an afternoon off. The most meaningful approach is to gift all staff and channel your spend towards woman-owned businesses.

Should we only give International Women's Day gifts to women?

Not necessarily. Gender is a spectrum, and assuming who identifies as a woman based on HR data can exclude the very people IWD aims to support. Many organisations now choose to gift all staff regardless of gender identity, while channelling their spend towards woman-owned brands. This inclusive approach avoids assumptions and supports women economically through purchasing choices.

How can we celebrate International Women's Day at work inclusively?

Start by using inclusive language and acknowledging that gender equality affects everyone differently. Centre intersectionality - consider how race, disability, sexuality, and class compound gender inequality. Make events opt-in and accessible. Involve your ERGs in planning. And pair any celebration with real commitments to systemic change like pay equity audits, improved parental leave, and inclusive recruitment.

What is International Women's Day and when is it?

International Women's Day is observed on 8th March every year. It originated in labour movements in the early 1900s and is a global day recognising women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements while calling for accelerated action towards gender equality. In the workplace, it's an opportunity to reflect on progress, address inequality, and show genuine recognition.

How can we support women-owned businesses on International Women's Day?

Direct your gifting budget towards woman-owned brands. Platforms like Huggg have a dedicated section for woman-owned brand gifts, making it easy to channel your IWD spend towards businesses founded and run by women. You can also spotlight woman-owned suppliers on internal channels, switch to woman-owned vendors for catering or event services, and share curated lists of woman-owned businesses with your team.

Is it performative to celebrate International Women's Day at work?

It can be, if gifts and events aren't paired with systemic action. Sending flowers while ignoring your gender pay gap is performative. But celebrating IWD with thoughtful recognition, inclusive programming, and genuine commitments to change - like publishing pay gap data, improving parental leave, or funding mentoring programmes - is meaningful. The test is simple: are you doing something real, or just being seen to do something?