March 28, 2024

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You may have known that March marks Women’s History Month, but did you know today, March 8 is International Women’s Day? It’s a holiday celebrated across the globe to highlight incredible women, past and present, along with their struggles and achievements. If you don’t know much about the holiday, there’s no need to fret—we’re here to teach you all about the special day, including its history and various ways to celebrate it. 

History of International Women’s Day 

International Women’s Day has a long history dating back to the early twentieth century. The first documented Women’s Day was observed in the United States on February 28th. Organized by the Socialist Party of America, the day was meant to commemorate the 1908 Garment Worker’s Strike in which women protested their working conditions. In the following decade, international women’s suffrage movements organized National Women’s Days across various nations in Europe. These days were meant to drum up support for women’s rights to vote, equality in education and an end to discrimination. In 1975, the United Nations began celebrating March 8th as International Women’s Day. While International Women’s Day is not an officially recognized holiday in the United States, it is in many countries including China, Ukraine, Russia and Zambia, among many others. 

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Ways to honor International Women’s Day 

There are many ways to commemorate and celebrate International Women’s Day. For one, you can take the time to honor an important woman in your life, such as by writing her a thoughtful letter or giving her a gift to show how much they mean to you and inspire you. If you identify as a woman, you can use the day as an excuse to give yourself well-earned rest or to reflect on the ways you are strong and valid. After all, the theme of this year’s IWD 2023 is to #EmbraceEquity, which is being shared across social media in the form of hugging oneself.

International Women’s Day owes its existence largely to the various suffrage movements that populated the early twentieth century. While great strides have been made to improve women’s rights since the early 1900s, there’s still a lot of work to be done. Consider dedicating your time to helping a woman-related cause you care about or learning about important and influential women figures. What’s more, educate others about the groundbreaking women of our past and present. Finally, you can support women-owned businesses and products by purchasing from them, as solidarity is power. 

Products to celebrate International Women’s Day

Biographies of amazing women 

Read about influential women with these great biographies.

As she had to overcome the difficulties brought on by her blindness and deafness, Helen Keller is a prime example of the power of perseverance. In addition to advocating for those with disabilities, Helen Keller was a staunch supporter of women’s suffrage and other freedoms considered radical at the time. One of the best books to learn about this larger-than-life woman is The Radical Lives of Helen Keller by Kim E. Nielson as it delves into the aspects of Helen Keller that are often sanitized or glossed over. 

If we’re talking about larger-than-life women from the early twentieth century, we’d be remiss to leave out Amelia Earheart, the record-breaking pilot extraordinaire who opened the door for many female pilots after her. Her death was as notable as her life, with the mystery surrounding it remaining unsolved to this day. If you’d like to learn more about Earheart, 27 years later, her eponymous biography by Doris L. Rich continues to be a great, comprehensive read about her life. 

Rosa Parks is another woman who deserves to be remembered on National Women’s Day thanks to her dedication to civil rights. While many know of her famous role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks led a long life of activism beyond that. In Jeanne Theoharis’ award-winning biography, Rosa Parks’ life and philosophy are laid bare to give readers a better, fuller sense of who she was. 

$17 from Amazon $25 from Amazon $13 from Amazon

Greeting cards 

Tell the women in your life how much they mean to you and inspire you with a greeting card.

While a card may seem like a throwaway gift to some, here at Reviewed we don’t believe there’s such a thing. A card can be a simple, yet effective way to show someone you care. While we’ve finally found a holiday that Hallmark hasn’t made a card for, Etsy has all your International Women’s Day card needs covered. The site features various, lovingly created designs from independent sellers. Better yet, many of them are immediately available for print after purchase, meaning you’ll be able to have your card ready for your recipient even if you’re buying last minute. 

Shop Etsy

Fox & the Knife pasta 

Eat a delicious pasta dinner from this female-founded restaurant.

Looking to satiate your hunger and support a woman-founded business in one fell swoop? You’re in luck. Chef Karen Akunowicz’s sells homemade pasta and sauces from her Boston restaurant, Fox & the Knife. The package serves four people and for an additional price, you can include add-ons such as olives to really bring the meal together. Our mouths are watering just looking at the pictures. 

$105 from Goldbelly

Sh*t that I Knit accessories

Keep yourself warm with knitted clothing from a woman-founded company.

Sh*t That I Knit certainly has a bold title; fitting for a brand that wants to make sure winter caps and gloves are not only warm, but stylish, too. While spring may be officially around the corner, many across the nation know all too well that chilly weather can persist well into April. So why not get your winter-knit fix by supporting a woman-founded business that supports mothers in Peru with a fair, livable wage? 

Shop Sh*t That I Knit

Zelie for She clothing

Shop this chic, body-positive clothing brand.

Part of celebrating International Women’s Day is recognizing that women come in all different shapes and sizes, despite the boxes that society wishes to put them in. In light of this, Zelie for She is an amazing brand to shop as it’s a woman-owned brand that empowers plus-sized women to be confident and rock the most stylish of clothes whether those are leggings, maxi dresses or crop tops. 

Shop Zelie for She

Sigma Beauty 

Sigma Beauty is a woman-founded company that sells amazing makeup products.

Another woman-owned brand to shop is Sigma Beauty, which offers high-quality makeup brushes at budget-friendly prices. Founded in 2009 by Simone Xavier, Sigma Beauty was created to provide quality makeup tools for those in Xavier’s home country of Brazil. No matter where you are, we’re sure you’ll love using these top-of-the-line brushes that make your skin look and feel great. 

Shop Sigma Beauty

Songs by female artists 

Blast all of your favorite tunes by female artists.

Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Rhianna, SZA; many of the hottest musical artists of the decade are women. Celebrate International Women’s Day by listening to their tunes. To do so, you’ll want only the best speakers and fortunately for you, we’ve tested them out. We found the best portable Bluetooth speaker to be the Sonos Roam thanks to its excellent sound, intuitive controls and stylish design. 

$179 from Amazon

Mejuri jewelry

If you love jewelry, you can shop the cutest designs while supporting a woman-founded business at the same time.

If you like jewelry, consider supporting a woman-founded brand this International Woman’s Day like Mejuri. Founded in 2015 by Noura Sakkijha and her husband Majed Sakkijha, the jewelry company is committed to making beautiful pieces that last. We tried various pieces of jewelry from the millennial-focused brand and loved what the company had to offer.  

Shop Mejuri

The Mirror 

No trainer, no problem.

For a cool way to support an invention made by a woman, we recommend checking out The Mirror. No, not a mirror, but The Mirror. Created by Brynn Putnam in 2016 to help those who can’t get a good gym workout in (including those who are pregnant), The Mirror projects a virtual fitness coach on a mirror to help guide you through your workout. We gave it a go and found it well worth its price tag. 

Shop The Mirror

The Sill 

Get a variety of wonderful plants delivered straight to your door with The Sill.

The Sill is another wonderful company founded by a woman. In 2012, Eliza Blank would use a tiny, borrowed office space to start the company, which delivers a variety of both real and fake plants straight to your door. We’ve bought a few plants from The Sill and were impressed by the care that went into shipping them. Whether you’re looking for a ponytail palm or a bird’s nest fern, you can’t go wrong by shopping from The Sill. 

Shop The Sill

The Olive Oil 

The Pineapple Collaborative, creators of The Olive Oil, is a woman-founded company.

The Olive Oil comes from the women-founded Pineapple Collaborative. Each person who had a hand in making Olive Oil is paid equitably as per the Pineapple Collaborative’s mission. This smooth, bright and delicious olive oil is well worth the price and will enhance a wide variety of dishes. 

$38 at Bespoke Post

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