Leaving Gifts for Women: ideas she'll actually want

You're here because a woman on your team is leaving and you want to get her something good. Not a bath set from Boots. Not a generic candle. Not a gift bag full of things that were chosen because they were in the "Gifts for her!" section, rather than because of who she actually is.

Good. You're already ahead of most "leaving gifts for women" lists on the internet.

Here's the thing about buying a leaving gift for a female colleague: the best ones have almost nothing to do with her gender and almost everything to do with her as a person. What does she talk about? What makes her light up? What does she do at the weekend? What's the running joke between you?

Those are the clues that matter. Not the fact that she's a woman.

That said, we know you're probably short on time, possibly organising a WhatsApp collection that's raised £42.50, and need actual ideas you can act on today. So this guide gives you both - practical leaving gift ideas that work, plus a framework for choosing something she'll genuinely appreciate rather than politely accept.

For the full guide to leaving gifts across every relationship and budget, see our complete leaving gifts for colleagues guide.

Quick answers

What's a good leaving gift for a female colleague?

The best leaving gift for a female colleague is something chosen based on what she's actually into, not a default "for her" gift. If you know her well, choose something specific to her interests. If you don't, a gift with choice lets her pick for herself - thoughtful without the guesswork.

How much should you spend on a leaving gift for her?

If it's built into your employee gifting budget, then consider how long she's been at the business. If you're using Huggg to gift, you have more leeway as she won't see the actual price of the gift. For a group collection, £5-10 per person is standard (usually totalling £30-100). For an individual gift, £15-30 covers most workplace relationships. The message you write matters more than the amount you spend.

The problem with "leaving gifts for women" lists

Most leaving gift guides split recommendations by gender. Gifts for her: candles, bath products, jewellery, flowers, prosecco. Gifts for him: whisky, gadgets, books, experience days.

The implication is clear - and it's the same one we called out in our piece on why flowers aren't the answer for International Women's Day. Women want pretty, fragrant, pampering things. Men want interesting, adventurous, practical things.

It's lazy. And it means the woman who'd love a whisky tasting, a book on astrophysics, or a climbing experience gets handed a Jo Malone candle because nobody thought to look past the "for her" filter.

We're not saying candles are bad. Candles are great - if she actually likes candles. The problem isn't the gift. It's the assumption.

So instead of organising ideas by gender, we've organised them by the kind of person she is. Because that's what actually helps you choose well.

Leaving gift ideas by who she actually is

For the foodie

She's the one who always knows where to eat, brings in baked goods that make the office smell incredible, or has opinions about sourdough that border on evangelical.

• A cooking class - pasta-making, sushi, patisserie, or something she hasn't tried. Experience gifts tend to create more lasting happiness than physical ones
• Artisan food from a small producer - olive oil from Citizens of Soil (women-owned, single-origin, and genuinely excellent), specialty coffee, or a hot sauce subscription.
• A restaurant gift card for somewhere she loves, or a dining experience voucher so she can choose
• A recipe book by a chef she admires, inscribed with a personal message from the team

For the reader

She's got a stack on her desk, strong opinions about book covers, and has definitely recommended something you still haven't read.

• A bookshop gift card - choose an independent bookshop, or a secondhand bookshop if that's more her style
• A book you know she'll love - the key word is "know." If you're not sure, Willoughby Books pick based on your interests
• A reading-adjacent gift - a beautiful bookmark, a book subscription box, or an Audible voucher for commute listening

For the adventurer

She spends weekends hiking, cycling, climbing, or planning trips. Her out-of-office message usually involves coordinates.

• An experience voucher - let her choose from hundreds of activities: kayaking, zip-lining, hot air balloon rides, wine tours
• Outdoor gear - if you know her well enough to know what she'd use. A quality water bottle, a buff, a trail snack box
• A National Trust or English Heritage membership - a gift that lasts beyond the leaving party

For the creative

She doodles in meetings (productively), has an eye for design, or makes things in her spare time - ceramics, painting, writing, photography.

• A workshop or class - pottery, printmaking, life drawing, calligraphy. Or an at-home kit pottery kit from Sculpd.
• Quality art supplies or stationery - a beautiful notebook from Martha Brook, a set of illustration pens, a sketchbook
• A gallery or exhibition membership - Tate, the V&A, or a local gallery she'd appreciate

For the one who keeps the team sane

She's the one who remembers birthdays, defuses tension, checks in when things are hard, and somehow holds the emotional infrastructure of the team together. Often without being asked or thanked.

• Something that says "we noticed" - a team message book where everyone writes something specific they'll miss about her. This costs almost nothing and means everything
• A wellbeing gift that's actually good - not a generic spa set, but a specific, quality item. A gift with choice with wellbeing brands she'd pick for herself
• A proper experience - afternoon tea, a spa day she's chosen, or a meal out. Something that's for her, not for the team's conscience

For the one you don't know well

She sits three desks away. You've chatted at the kitchen. You know she drinks oat milk and has strong feelings about the thermostat. That's about it.

This is where most people default to "bath set, because woman." Don't.

• A gift with choice - Huggg's gift with choice lets you set a budget and she picks from a curated range. You don't need to know her taste. She gets something she actually wants. No address needed
• A coffee shop gift card - Costa, Caffe Nero, or an independent near the office. Small, useful, zero risk
• A nice box of biscuits or chocolates - yes, we know we just challenged the cliches. But quality biscuits from a brand like Treat Kitchen (women-owned, inventive, and genuinely good) are a different proposition from a box of Celebrations. Context matters

For the one who'd rather you donated

She's passionate about a cause, volunteers outside work, or has mentioned she doesn't need more stuff. Respect that.

• A charity shop gift card - she gets the joy of choosing something, and the money goes to a good cause
• A donation in her name - to a charity she's mentioned or cares about. Check first - some people find this presumptuous, others love it
• A plant or tree planting in her name - for the environmentally minded colleague

The gift categories that work for almost anyone

If the person-specific approach isn't clicking (maybe you genuinely don't know her well, or you're buying for several people leaving at once), these categories tend to land well regardless:

Food and drink gifts - artisan chocolate, premium coffee, a hamper of treats. Hard to get wrong, easy to enjoy, and you can choose quality over generic.

Experience gifts - afternoon tea, a cooking class, a wine tasting, theatre tickets. These create memories rather than clutter, and research consistently shows they generate more lasting satisfaction.

Gift with choice - you set the budget, she picks the gift. This is genuinely the most thoughtful option when you're not sure - it says "I wanted you to have something you'd love" rather than "I grabbed the first thing I saw."

Books and stationery - a well-chosen book or a beautiful notebook. Low cost, high thoughtfulness, works for almost every relationship level.

Why gift with choice works especially well here

We wrote about the problem with generic gift cards for business and most of it applies to leaving gifts too. A Love2Shop voucher technically gives choice, but it rarely feels like someone put thought into it.

Gift with choice through Huggg works differently. You set a budget, the recipient picks from a curated range of quality gifts - from artisan food and drink to wellbeing products to experiences. She chooses what she actually wants. You don't need her address. It takes minutes.

It's especially useful for leaving gifts for women because it sidesteps the entire gendered-gift problem. You're not guessing whether she wants bath products or a book or a bottle of wine. She decides. The thought is in the gesture, the message, and the fact that you gave her agency over her own gift.

That feels more respectful than a "for her" hamper. And it's a lot less stressful to organise.

Support women-owned brands with your leaving gift

If you want your leaving gift to do something beyond the moment, consider choosing a gift from a women-owned brand.

We work with several women-owned businesses on Huggg - from Mademoiselle Macaron (artisan macarons handmade in Scotland) to TrueStart Coffee (clean, barista-grade coffee) to Seedball (wildflower seed balls for conservation). You can read their stories here.

Only 1 in 3 UK entrepreneurs are women. Female-founded startups receive less than 2% of venture capital funding. Choosing a gift from a women-owned brand is a small, practical way to put your spending behind the kind of economy you'd like to see.

It's not a statement. It's just a good decision.

What to write in a leaving card for a female colleague

The message matters more than the gift. Always.

A three-line message that references something specific beats a full-page generic one every time. Here's what works:

Be specific. "I'll miss our morning coffee debriefs and the way you always asked the question everyone else was thinking" is better than "you'll be missed."

Reference something real. A project, a moment, a conversation. Something only you could write because you were there.

Keep it honest. If you're close, say so. If you weren't close but respected her work, say that instead. Authenticity reads better than warmth you don't feel.

Skip the cliches:

• "You go, girl!" - no.
• "Girl boss energy!" - absolutely not.
• "We're losing our office mum!" - please don't reduce a professional colleague to a domestic role, even affectionately.

What works:

• "Your ability to cut through the noise and get to what actually mattered saved this team more times than you know. Good luck at [company] - they're getting someone brilliant."
• "Thank you for being the person who always made time when things got hard. That mattered more than you probably realise."
• "I don't know who's going to challenge my terrible ideas now. Genuinely - thank you for three brilliant years."

How much to spend on a leaving gift for her

The same rules apply regardless of who's leaving:

From your gifting budget: Whatever is your baseline - Huggg hides the prices anyway

Group collection: £5-10 per person is normal. Don't pressure anyone - keep it genuinely optional.

Individual gift: £15-30 for most colleagues. Up to £40 for someone you worked with closely.

The real answer: nobody remembers what you spent. They remember what you wrote and whether the gesture felt genuine.

Common mistakes when buying leaving gifts for women

Defaulting to "feminine" gifts. Bath products, flowers, candles, and prosecco are fine - if she'd actually choose them. They're not fine as a default because she's a woman. If in doubt, ask someone who knows her. Or give her the choice.

Buying something "safe" that's actually just generic. A multi-store gift voucher feels safe but rarely feels thoughtful. There's a difference between safe and considered.

Writing a card that focuses on her personality rather than her work. "You always brightened up the office" is lovely, but if she also delivered a major project, restructured a process, or mentored three junior team members, lead with that. Women's professional contributions are routinely undervalued in favour of their interpersonal warmth. A leaving card is a chance to correct that.

Calling her the "office mum." Even as a compliment, this frames a colleague's professional contribution through a domestic lens. If she's been the person who keeps things running, holds the team together, and remembers every detail - that's operational brilliance, not mothering.

Forgetting her altogether. This happens more than people admit, especially for part-time workers, remote colleagues, and people in less visible roles. Women are overrepresented in all three categories. Make sure someone is responsible for noticing when people leave.

Making it work for remote and hybrid teams

If she works remotely, her leaving moment matters just as much. Maybe more, because there's no natural office send-off.

• Use a digital gifting platform like Huggg - you don't need her home address. She adds her own delivery details and chooses her gift.
• Time the message and gift to arrive on or before her last day. Don't let it drift.
• If the team is hybrid, make the send-off accessible to everyone - not just the people who happen to be in the office that day.

For more on managing recognition in distributed teams, see our full leaving gifts for colleagues guide.

The bottom line

The best leaving gifts for women aren't "leaving gifts for women." They're leaving gifts for Sarah, or Priya, or Jo, or whoever she is - chosen because someone took ten minutes to think about what she'd actually enjoy.

If you know her well, choose something specific. If you don't, give her the choice. Either way, write something real in the card. That's the part she'll keep.

Send a leaving gift with Huggg | See gift with choice | Browse women-owned brands

FAQs: leaving gifts for women

What are good leaving gifts for a female colleague?

Good leaving gifts for a female colleague are chosen based on her interests, not her gender. If she's a foodie, choose artisan food or a cooking class. If she's a reader, a bookshop gift card. If you're not sure, a gift with choice lets her pick something she actually wants. Avoid defaulting to bath sets and candles just because she's a woman.

What are the best leaving gifts for her?

The best leaving gifts for her depend on who she is. Experience gifts (afternoon tea, cooking classes, activity vouchers), quality food and drink, and gifts with choice consistently work well. The most meaningful element is usually the message - a specific, personal note about what she brought to the team.

How much should I spend on a leaving gift for a woman?

The same as for anyone. For group collections, £5-10 per person is standard. For individual gifts, £15-30 is typical. What you write in the card matters more than what you spend on the gift.

Are flowers a good leaving gift for a female colleague?

Flowers work if you know she loves flowers. They don't work as a default because she's a woman. Many people find cut flowers wasteful, don't have space for a vase, or would simply prefer something else. If you're unsure, a gift with choice or a food and drink gift is a safer and more thoughtful option.

What should I write in a leaving card for a female colleague?

Be specific. Reference her professional contributions - projects she led, problems she solved, skills she brought. Avoid reducing her to interpersonal warmth alone ("you always brightened up the office"). A few honest, personal sentences about what she specifically brought to the team beats a long generic message.

What's a good leaving gift for a colleague I don't know well?

A coffee shop gift card, a quality box of biscuits, or a gift with choice all work perfectly. You don't need to know her well to get it right - just avoid defaulting to gendered gifts. A genuine "all the best" message with a small gesture is always enough.

Should leaving gifts be different for men and women?

Not really. The best leaving gifts are personal, not gendered. What someone enjoys doesn't reliably split along gender lines. A whisky tasting might be perfect for her. A candle might be perfect for him. Choose based on the person, not the category. For more ideas across every situation, see our full leaving gifts for colleagues guide.

What are good leaving gifts from women-owned brands?

Huggg works with several women-owned brands including Mademoiselle Macaron (artisan macarons), TrueStart Coffee (clean, barista-grade coffee), Seedball (wildflower seed balls), Treat Kitchen (innovative confectionery), and KOSI London (premium bamboo socks). Choosing a gift from a women-owned brand supports female founders while giving a quality, distinctive gift.

Are gift cards a good leaving gift for her?

Gift cards can work, but generic multi-store vouchers often feel impersonal. A gift with choice - where she picks from a curated range of quality gifts - feels more considered. Alternatively, a gift card for somewhere specific she loves shows you've paid attention.

How do I send a leaving gift to a remote female colleague?

Use a digital gifting platform like Huggg - you don't need her home address. Send a gift with choice alongside a personal message, timed to arrive on or before her last day. For remote colleagues, the message and timing matter even more since there's no office send-off.