23 Engaging Virtual Events For International Women’s Day

While we believe every day is a good day to celebrate the accomplishments of women across the globe, recognise the unique challenges they face, and work to create a more equal world for people of all gender identities, it doesn’t hurt to have a specific day set aside to focus on these issues.

8 March 2021 will mark 110 years since the first observance of International Women’s Day (IWD), and as ever, scores of engaging events are being organised around the world with the goal of celebrating and empowering women, while opening a dialogue about gender parity in everything from science and politics to education and work-life balance. Most of this year’s events are, unsurprisingly, online – and though we’re all tired of logging on to life from home these days, the positive upshot is that you can connect with even more diverse and varied groups of people and ideas without having to purchase a plane ticket.

So join the conversation – no matter your gender – and attend one of these virtual IWD events throughout the month of March.

Arts & Entertainment

Women Who Rock Presents: We The She
8 March 2021
For the seventh year running – and the first time streaming – award-winning singer, songwriter, talent booker and producer Val Kinzler presents a multi-genre concert with an all-female line-up. Twelve performers will be live-streamed from Pete’s Candy Store in Brooklyn, with proceeds from ticket sales and merchandise supporting Women Who Rock NYC, a non-profit that empowers independent female music artists.

IWD Poetry Salon
10 March 2021
Gather online with international poets, wordsmiths and spoken word artists as they share their unique perspectives on current events and issues, both local and global, through the power of their writing. Don’t forget to bring your own composition, and your courage: the event includes an open mic session.

INTERSECT – Seen and Heard: An Online Portraiture Project 
13 March 2021
Feel like being heard – and drawn? Exploring the female gaze while subverting the traditional male gaze, this collaborative event sees four female or non-binary artists create online portraits of female or non-binary sitters who, prior to the session, are asked to answer the question, “How would I like to be seen and heard?” At the end, one artist will be commissioned to combine all four drawings into one final portrait, which will be sent to the sitter to keep. The GBP 15 ticket gets you a 15-minute sitting as well as your final portrait, while funding the work of the participating artists.

Black Feminist Vision: Artist Lubaina Himid
18 March 2021
Ahead of her large-scale retrospective at the Tate Modern later this year, preview the oeuvre of Turner Prize-winning British artist Professor Lubaina Himid CBE at this free online exhibition. The live event is hosted by The Research Forum at The Courtauld, examining the artist’s work from past to present, and illuminating her powerful explorations of the politics of gender, race and class.

Choose To Challenge Cinema 
Entire Month Of March
Feminist film blog Miss En Scene will be pairing up with 30 Instagram film accounts to highlight a different defining woman in cinema each day in March. Challenging gender bias and inequality in the film industry, while celebrating women’s cinematic achievements, the initiative aims to cover the spectrum of the silver screen, from Hollywood classics to French New Wave and the pioneering female directors of today.

Career & Empowerment

Think Women: Thriving In A Changing Workplace 
5 March 2021
We’re living in a time of unprecedented change for career-oriented women – and not all of it is good. This virtual event seeks to open a dialogue about the challenges women face in the workplace today, particularly in light of pandemic-related disruptions. You’ll hear from experts and business role models, discuss issues like the gender pay gap, and learn how to bolster your resilience and stay agile in the current situation, while meeting like-minded women with whom to collaborate and build a supportive network.

Rising Festival
6-10 March 2021
Encompassing interactive workshops, renowned keynote speakers, a multi-day mentorship programme and a masterclass series, this online festival touches on everything from stress management to work-life balance and confidence-building. The mentoring circles add a unique and personal facet to the event, offering a chance for participants to get meaningful feedback and support from other successful women.

Ditching Imposter Syndrome 
12 March 2021
Nagged by a sneaking sense that you have no business being where you are? That your successes are undeserved, and that your luck may soon run out? You’re not alone. Author and leadership mentor Clare Josa specialises in helping people break through their “self-imposed glass ceilings”. Join her for this free session to discuss how imposter syndrome holds women back, and what you can do to replace your inner criticism with encouragement.

Change The Equation: Women In Business 
Every Monday in March
Meet the women who are changing the business landscape, and learn from their experiences. This webinar series will feature different women across various industries sharing the issues they and other women face at work, and discussing how to effect real change.

Science & Tech

IWD HackHERthon 
5-7 March 2021
A scarcity of women in STEM fields means that too few women are included in the digital solutions that inevitably shape the world of tomorrow. This virtual hackathon seeks to address the issue by inviting women to build connections and learn new skills while benefiting their communities and society at large. Show up, show off your problem-solving talents, and perhaps even win prizes – like an 8-week peer mentoring course or a go-to-market business plan tailored for you in collaboration with the experts at professional tech community and development lab TH.0.

Live Coders IWD Challenge 
8 March 2021
1 day. 10 hours. 10 female speakers. All about overcoming challenges in tech – from the external and systemic, to the internal and self-imposed. Hosted by Live Coders, a team of ‘edutainment’ broadcasters who live-stream coding tutorials on Twitch, it promises to be an enlightening conference for technophiles.

Women in Conservation Conference 
8 March 2021
Disappointed at the lack of female representation in conventional discussions of environmental preservation, students at the University of Exeter decided to host their own conference to highlight the women who are making waves and overcoming obstacles in conservation. Guest speakers include Nina Constable, an award-winning environmental filmmaker; Joanna Alfaro, cofounder of marine conservation NGO Pro Delphinus; and Rachel Hevesi, director of charity Wild Futures.

Forging Gender Equality in Tech 
10 March 2021
Come for the insights of the four keynote speakers – talented and knowledgeable women in tech, from engineers to CEOs – stay for the interactive discussion, in which participants are split into breakout rooms and invited to share their own experiences, as well as their ideas for building a more diverse and inclusive tech community.

Women In STEM Book Club 
22 March 2021
Enjoy reading about the trials and triumphs of women in male-dominated STEM? There’s a book club for that. This month, the book in question is How to Talk to Robots: A Girls’ Guide to a Future Dominated by AI – give it a read, then join the discussion on Zoom. It’s free and open to all genders.

Fundraising & Social Justice

One Light Only 
4 March 2021
Sometimes our most basic resources are those which we take most for granted. Like the simple act of turning on a light. This virtual fundraising festival aims to collect AUD 50,000 in order to provide 1,536 solar lights to girls living in energy poverty, giving them the means to study after nightfall and achieve their educational goals. The line-up of top Australian performers includes multi-platinum artist Megan Washington, singer-songwriter Mama Kin, comedian Ben Price, mentalist Adam Axford and speed painter Sarah Rowan.

1,000 Women Leaders 
8 March 2021
On International Women’s Day, rendezvous with leading lights like Whoopi Goldberg, Kristin Bell, Leymah Gbowee and Nahla Valji, along with other women humanitarians and peacebuilders who have teamed up with the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund to foster female participation in conflict resolution and crisis response around the world. The idea? That empowering women to impact decision-making and assume leadership roles in their local communities can help build a more peaceful and equitable world.

Unite For Women 
8 March 2021
Join for an afternoon of speakers, challenges, Q&As, activities and more in support of UK charity Smart Works, giving unemployed women in need the tools to succeed at job interviews. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.

Women Driving Social Change 
9 March 2021
Female philanthropists, activists and entrepreneurs may not always be the most visible forces driving social change, but they are powerful nonetheless. At this webinar organised by United World Schools, TV and radio presenter Zara Janjua will be speaking with female leaders of diverse ages and backgrounds to learn how they’ve effected meaningful social change in their communities, from Nepal to Myanmar and Cambodia.

There’s No Place Like Home: A Woman’s Place in the Pandemic? 
10 March 2021
It’s no secret that the challenges posed by the pandemic have exacerbated existing issues of gender and racial inequality. Free to access, this panel discussion will see experts like Felicia Willow (Interim Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society), Dr Esther McIntosh (author and professor of feminist theology and ethics) and Sarah Hill (CEO of Independent Domestic Abuse Services) discuss matters ranging from work to home life and healthcare, along with ways to ‘build back better’.

The Next Generation

Listen To Girls 
7 March 2021
Tackling tough subjects such as violence, low self-esteem, climate change and pandemic-related barriers, three decision-makers will sit down with three young women to listen to their experiences, concerns and ideas for creating a brighter future.

She’s Clever, That One: Fairy Tales for Smart Girls 
7 March 2021
Gather round as popular storyteller, author and musician Odds Bodkin recounts four fairy tales from around the world – where the female leads are more than distressed damsels awaiting their dashing knights. Streamed from his state-of-the-art Zoom studio, Odds uses character voices, along with guitar and Celtic harp music – played by himself – to bring his enchanting stories to life.

Celebrate Girls Virtual Challenge 
4-21 March 2021
Walden University teams up with Goodwall, a community platform helping young people discover scholarship and job opportunities, to celebrate women and girls who are making a difference. To participate, post a video, text or photo on the Goodwall app nominating a female peer of yours who is breaking through gender barriers to accomplish great things. If your entry is chosen, you and your nominee can win prizes ranging from USD 1300 in cash, to spots on Walden University’s exclusive leadership course.

Girls Code Fest 
13, 20, 27 March 2021
Are you (or a young woman in your life) considering a career in tech? This three-Saturday festival encompasses educational panels with more than 20 female speakers and artists, in addition to workshops spanning six industries – from software engineering to data science, machine learning, AI and more – designed to introduce women and girls to coding and connect them with female leaders in related industries. A great way to delve into an exciting and expanding, yet traditionally male-dominated field – and bridge the gender gap.