How to Celebrate Women’s Equality Day at Work?

Skip the pink cupcakes and #empowerment hashtags—if you want to celebrate Women’s Equality Day with real impact. Your celebration should be a call to action that aligns with the theme: Stand Out. Speak Up. Disrupt the Status Quo. True gender equality means equal opportunity for everyone, regardless of gender. So, a great way to mark the day is with meaningful activities that create awareness, challenge bias, and drive sustainable diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within your team.

We swear by the words of Malala Yousafzai – ‘we cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.’ That’s why we’re big on seeking new ways to promote gender equality in our remote workplace and to celebrate women, not just on this day, but all year round.

In this article, we’ll explore:

• What is Women’s Equality Day, and why does it matter?
• Why Should You Celebrate the Day as a Team?
• And, engaging Women’s Equality Day activities for teams to explore.

Table of Contents

What is Women’s Equality Day and Why Does it Matter for Teams?

Women’s Equality Day, observed on August 26, commemorates the certification of the 19th Amendment, which granted women in the US the right to vote. Today, it is more than a historical milestone – it highlights the ongoing need for gender equality in all aspects of society. 

For teams, celebrating the day is an opportunity to –

• Promote equal pay, fair hiring practices, and better representation at work.
• Reinforce the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
• Inspire everyone to accelerate action toward equality.
• Open up conversations about gender-based challenges and concerns at the workplace. 
• Recognize and celebrate the achievements of women in all roles.

Will Celebrating Women’s Equality Day Reinforce DEI in My Team?

Yes, celebrating Women’s Equality Day can meaningfully reinforce your diversity and inclusion efforts. Activities like webinars and workshops provide opportunities to learn about women’s history and perspectives, building empathy and understanding among team members. Team-building games and Equality Day-themed activities can create a safe space for team members to share their experiences and reflect on current challenges.

How Do You Celebrate Women’s Equality Day Virtually?

You can celebrate Women’s Equality Day virtually by hosting interactive games and activities that put the focus on equity, gender bias, or allyship in a fun and engaging way. If you are a remote team and are still sending warm wishes over emails to celebrate the day, there’s still some room to step up and make it count with these awesome ideas.

1. HerStory Trivia

Number of Participants: 2-1000
Duration: 60 minutes

Join a hosted Women’s Equality Day Trivia to learn more about inspiring stories and test your knowledge about women trailblazers. From board rooms to space missions and sports, many women took a step forward to pave the way for others. Guided by an expert quizmaster, your team will tackle multiple trivia questions on topics related to women’s history and gender equality.

Last year, when we were looking for ideas on how to celebrate Women’s Equality Day, this activity stood out to us. We enjoyed answering questions on various interesting categories like women in STEM, pop culture icons, and historic firsts. Our host even introduced a bonus rapid-fire round called ‘She Said It First’—where we had to guess iconic quotes by women pioneers.

Equality Takeaway: Team members get to learn about many women leaders and pioneers who shaped the way for gender equality.

2. Empowerment Bingo

Number of Participants: 2-1000
Duration: 60 minutes

Teams seeking engaging ideas on how to celebrate Women’s Equality Day can join an Empowerment Bingo event. Before the game, team members will receive themed bingo cards with prompts like ‘Quoted Kalpana Chawla in a conversation’ or ‘watched Hidden Figures.’ They just need to mark off related prompts as called out by the host to create a winning combination. 

Equality Takeaway: Team members get to know who among them is the most woke when it comes to women’s equality. 

3. Equality Opinions: Coworker Feud

Number of Participants: 2-1000
Duration: 60 minutes

This Women’s Equality Day, see if your team has the facts right about equity trends at work with Equality Opinions Coworker Feud. Led by a friendly host, your team will answer various survey-style questions on topics like gender pay gap, glass ceiling, and representation at work. Team members need to guess the most popular answer to these questions to score points. You can even tailor the themes around custom categories for a more meaningful experience. 

Here are some sample survey prompts for teams to explore:

• Name a reason people give to justify the gender pay gap.
• Name a leadership role where men outnumber women.
• Name one thing that could make workplaces more equal for women.
• Name something that helps women grow in their careers.
• Name a woman-led movement that sparked change.
• Name a workplace policy that supports working parents.
• Name a movie with a strong female lead.
• Name a basic right women had to fight for.
• Name a decade known for major women’s rights progress.
• Name a country that has had a female president or prime minister. 

Equality Takeaway: A thought-provoking session where team members will learn what people really think about women’s equality across work, home, media, and society. 

4. HerSHEys Chocolate Tasting

Number of Participants: 5-1000
Duration: 60 minutes

Celebrate chocolatiers who are empowering women in the cacao growing communities with a HerSHEys Chocolate Tasting event. During the event, an expert host will share stories about how women are making a difference, from supporting female farmers to promoting fair trade practices.

Along the way, team members will also savor ethically sourced chocolates from a specially curated kit delivered to their doorsteps before the event. When we tried this activity with our team, we had a good time exploring how to taste chocolates in the right way. Plus, we learned interesting insights from our host – like how women are the largest consumers of chocolate to date. 

Equality Takeaway: Team members get to know about how women are driving change in the industry while savoring some premium chocolates along the way. 

5. Wellness Sessions

Number of Participants: 2-1000
Duration: 60 minutes

Women are often juggling multiple tasks and responsibilities at a time, with limited time to rest. Hosting wellness sessions can be a great way to relieve stress, prevent burnout, and enjoy a mindful refresher from work. 

Here are some wellness session ideas for teams to explore:

• Mental Health Workshop: These sessions can help women openly discuss workplace stress and learn practical strategies like mindfulness, journaling or breathing techniques to manage emotions and improve focus. 
• Meditation: Offer expert-led meditation sessions to help women on your team relax, reset and build resilience in a safe and supportive space. 
• Dance Wellness: Hosted dance wellness sessions can help participants express themselves and unwind in a way that supports both physical and emotional well-being.  

Equality Takeaway: By participating in various wellness sessions, teams learn the importance of taking a mindful break and slowing down once in a while. 

How to Celebrate Women’s Equality Day at Work?

From engaging workshops to thoughtful competitions, in-person teams have plenty of options to host a thoughtful celebration at their workplace. To help you select the perfect Women’s Equality  Day activity, we have listed some engaging ideas for you and your team to explore. 

6. Women Connect: Employee Resource Groups

Number of Participants: Customizable
Duration: Customizable 

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are inclusive spaces where team members can voice their concerns and raise awareness about different issues. While many organizations already have DEI-focused ERGs, women-led groups can help female coworkers build supportive networks and advocate for equitable policies. 

Here are a few ideas to start women-led employee resource groups:

• Start Women’s Support Groups like Women of Color forum, Return-to-Work Network, and Working Moms Community to uplift each other through collective understanding. 
• Mental health and wellness support groups for safe-space conversations, guided wellness sessions, resource sharing, and mindful social activities to manage stress and prioritize self-care. 
• Career Growth Circles for goal-setting & accountability, skill-building sessions, mentorship access, and career mapping with community support. 

Equality Takeaway: Team members can get access to support groups where they can initiate open conversations in an inclusive setting. 

7. Cocktail Hour

Number of Participants: Customizable
Duration: 1-2 hours 

Wondering how to celebrate Women’s Equality Day in a meaningful but social way? A themed cocktail hour can be perfect for your team. Team members can take this opportunity to celebrate and thank various female bartenders and mixologists behind the most popular drinks enjoyed by everyone today. To make it even more interesting, you can learn how to mix drinks invented by women like Hanky Panky, Old Cuban, and Gin Blossom during the session.

Team members can make the activity more inclusive by experimenting with mocktails, tea-based cocktails, or other non-alcoholic recipes for everyone to enjoy. Plus, this activity gives teams the space to talk about their experiences, inspirations, and share suggestions to promote workplace equality.

Equality Takeaway: Team members can have a fun time enjoying refreshing cocktails created by female bartenders and exploring different recipes. 

8. Life Skills Workshop

Number of Participants: Customizable
Duration: 1-2 hours 

As part of your Women’s Equality Day celebration, equip the women coworkers on your team with a life skills workshop. These sessions can help everyone explore new ways of approaching everyday problems that felt like a task before. 

Here are some workshop ideas for teams to explore:

• Money Talks: This workshop can be about investment basics, Insurance plans, budgeting techniques, or tax filing to make everyone feel confident about their financial decisions. 
• Fix It: This everyday repair skills workshop can cover how to change tires, fix light bulbs, hang shelves, and use a basic toolkit with ease. 
• Safety 101: A personal safety session with an expert host to learn self-defense basics, emergency preparedness, and how to handle unsafe situations both online and offline.
• Tech Made Easy: A digital essentials workshop that walks through phone/computer hacks, using cloud storage, password managers, and basic troubleshooting tips. 

Equality Takeaway: Everyone gets to learn new or hone their existing skills to handle daily tasks and challenges independently. 

9. Design for Change: Poster Making

Number of Participants: Customizable
Duration: 1-2 hours 

It’s often seen that portraying something visually inspires people and drives action. So, hosting a poster-making competition at the workplace can be a perfect way to promote gender equality. Team members can decide on themes related to Women’s Equality Day and come together in a shared space to host this activity. To switch things up, you can also vote for the participants and offer prizes for categories like Most Empowering Message, Best Visual Impact, and Creative Call to Action. 

Here are some themes for teams to explore: 

• Equal Pay for Equal Work
• Break the Bias
• Women in STEM
• Break the Glass Ceiling
• Representation at Work
• Equality for All

Equality Takeaway: Team members can express their thoughts in the form of a visual story that highlights the current challenges. 

10. Lunch on Us

Number of Participants: Customizable
Duration: 2-3 hours 

Treat your team to lunch as a gesture of appreciation for the women in your workplace. You can host this event in the office with a catered lunch, distribute meal coupons or visit a local restaurant. To make things engaging, teams can pair this activity with a group discussion on equality for a meaningful lunch and learn experience.

Here are some more ideas to make the session interesting for all:

• Icebreaker Games: Host games like Guess Who or water cooler chats to learn about women’s equality in a whole new way.
• Story Circle: Invite everyone on the team to share stories about inspiring women in their lives, such as mentors, colleagues, public figures ,or family members. 
• Gratitude Notes: Set up a small station with cards and pens where team members can write notes to their female coworkers and appreciate them. 
• Empowerment Playlist: Curate a background playlist featuring women artists or empowerment anthems to set an upbeat, inclusive tone during lunch.

Equality Takeaway: Everyone will have an amazing time discussing different aspects of gender equality at work while savoring some delicious meals together. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When is Women’s Equality Day?

Women’s Equality Day is celebrated on August 26. 

Is Women’s Equality Day different from International Women’s Day? 

Yes! Women’s Equality Day commemorates the day on which American women gained the right to vote. International Women’s Day, on the other hand, celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women worldwide. 

How to celebrate Women’s Equality Day at work?

For celebrating Women’s Equality Day at work, create a list of inclusive activities like panel discussions, equality workshops, trivia, and more. Then, send out invites to block your team’s calendars. On the event day, have a host lead the session and enjoy the activities of your choice. If your team works remotely, you can opt for team-building platforms like Hooray Teams to enjoy a fully-hosted experience. 

What is the theme for Women’s Equality Day 2025?

This year’s theme is Stand Out, Speak Up, Disrupt the Status Quo. 

Can I celebrate Women’s Equality Day with my entire team?

Absolutely. You can celebrate Women’s Equality Day with your entire team to spread awareness and create a more inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcomed. 

What should I keep in mind before selecting Women’s Equality Day activities?

The Women’s Equality Day activities should be inclusive, thoughtful, and designed to raise awareness about equality. Activities like themed trivia, bingo, lunch & learn, and Coworker Feud are some good ways to celebrate Women’s Equality Day at work.