5 Ways to Celebrate International Women's Day

Five actionable and fun ways to celebrate women.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is an annual holiday that celebrates women’s achievements in economic, social, political, and cultural sectors. It grew out of labor movements in North America and Europe during the early 20th century to become a recognized annual event by the United Nations.

At Teneral Cellars, we love IWD because it celebrates everything we stand for as a company. Not only is Teneral Cellars a women-owned company, but fighting for gender equality is a major part of our business model.

Wondering how to celebrate International Women’s Day? We put together a list for you! Try one (or all!) of these 5 meaningful ways to celebrate International Women’s Day and elevate women in your family, community, and globally:

1. Purchase from Women Owned Businesses

Because the possibilities are limitless, it can be overwhelming to think about how to support all the amazing and influential women there are. Where do you start? How do you make an impact? How do you show you care?

Choosing to buy goods and services from women owned businesses—like Teneral Cellars 😉—is a win-win way to support women from anywhere in the world. If you don’t already, why not make the extra effort to seek out your standard goods and gifts from companies led by women?

If you don’t know where to start, you can’t go wrong with a simple Google search. With Google's new feature, businesses can identify as being women owned, led, or founded, which will show at the top of their Google profile.

You can also use the website Women Owned to search for women owned businesses and products, or shop from their Women Owned Gift Guide—they even provide free coupon codes!

2. Host a Gathering

Gathering with friends, family, or coworkers can be a fun and easy way to raise awareness around a specific issue that affects women. Order a few bottles of wine—these 3 are our current favorites—and open up a discussion.

Here are some questions to inspire your conversations:

When you read the words “empowered woman,” what qualities come to mind?

Pairs best with this 2018 Disrupt Now Cabernet Sauvignon

When do you remember first becoming aware of your gender?

Think of your answer while enjoying our 2020 Pinot Noir

What societal norms would you love to be free of?

Contemplate while sipping this 2020 Albariño

Pour a glass and raise it to your favorite friend, sister, aunt, coworker, author, teacher, speaker, or any other badass woman you can think of. Take it a step further by sending a text, making a quick phone call, or posting to social media with an appreciative shout-out to a changemaker who inspires you.

3. Give a Toast

Not in the mood for a social gathering? We’ve been there. There’s no reason why celebrating IWD can’t be a solo event!

4. Offer Mentorship

Did you know that only 6 percent of Fortune 500 companies have a woman as CEO? According to DDI, “The women who do make it to the C-suite have one main thing in common: They are products of [mentorship] in the workplace.”

Many leaders have experienced a mentor-mentee relationship, but the research shows that women often miss out—or are overlooked. If you’ve got industry expertise that you know someone would benefit from, consider sharing it. This is why we use a portion of the sales of the Disrupt Now collection to fund a mentorship program through the Women of the Vine & Spirits Foundation.

Mentoring isn’t just for CEOs or industry experts. Everyone is good at something and has unique life experiences that have the potential to help others. Keep your ears perked for an employee, intern, or family friend who might be looking for mentorship or advice—if your life experience is relevant, offer it up!

Before you get started, make sure to read up on mentorship best practices. Here are a few guides we recommend:

6 Things Every Mentor Should Do, Harvard Business Review
Mentoring Guide, Harvard University
Introduction to Mentoring: A Guide for Mentors and Mentees, American Psychological Association

5. Provide Free Childcare

Somehow, millions of women manage to run businesses, have successful careers, and raise children, which can be especially challenging in the US where there isn’t mandated paid parental leave. If you're comfortable with kids, offer a day or two of free childcare to a mom you know would appreciate it. Everyone deserves a break and the time to focus on their mental health and well-being.

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Equality and equity for women will happen much faster if we can all work together. We call this #TheDragonFlyEffect—the idea that small actions add up to create systemic transformations. By making small changes and finding opportunities for action in our own communities, we can start to create larger, profound shifts in the world.