7 Awesome Ways to Celebrate International Women's Day ...

Wrap your arms around the concept of sisterhood! One of the really easy ways to celebrate International Women’s Day is to send e-cards to the precious women in your life. Get online and find e-cards with a special message to share your love with your mum, your sister(s), aunties, nieces and friends.

We’re lucky that in 2014, International Women’s Day falls on a Saturday. What better excuse do you need to go out on a girlie night? Push that essay to one side, send your boyfriend/hubby off to a poker night, or load him up with beer and pizza in front of the TV, get a babysitter if necessary, then get your glad rags on and spend the evening making merry with your besties.

There is an absolute multitude of women-focused charities, supporting all sorts of causes from female health to vulnerable women, to supporting those in developing countries. Mark International Women’s Day by making a donation to a charity in whose cause you truly believe. It doesn’t matter how much – every dollar, pound, peso, yen, rupee counts.

What better day could there be to increase your social circle? You love your current friends but seriously, who wouldn’t love to hook up with other charming, interesting and fun women? And it’s so easily done. Invite your female neighbors whom you only nod to in the street around for coffee and cake. Go to the local library and find a circle or group with a focus on something you’ve always had an interest in but have never pursued. Find a social or community event where you know there will be plenty of women and go. Can you imagine a better conversation opener than “Did you know today is International Woman’s Day?” It is one of the exciting ways to celebrate International Women’s Day because you have no idea which fabulous women it will bring into your life.

Women are forging ahead in business like no time ever before. We’re turning our kitchens into cupcake bakeries, our garages into art studios, our basements into writing dens and we’re blogging like crazy to enrich womanhood the world over. Make a special effort today to support a local businesswoman. Go to the farmer’s market and buy some artisan bread or cheese, pop along to a craft fair and pick up some early holiday gifts, find a local artist and buy a piece of jewelry or commission a small piece of art.

Being a woman is special. We are beautiful, talented, emotional and strong. We are homemakers and captains of industry. On this special day make a promise to yourself that you will personally do something to improve yourself as a woman. This is not about looking in the mirror and saying you need to be more beautiful. Everything about you is beautiful. This is a day for committing to self-improvement – for your benefit. Learn something, better your health, share your talent, increase your talent … just go with something you know will make for a better you. Next year you can look back and see how far you have come.

I know some of these ways to celebrate International Women’s Day might not be possible or accessible to all, but here’s something that is. I’m taking my cue from Cate Blanchett. In her acceptance speech for winning the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role, she criticized the movie industry for “…foolishly clinging to the idea that female films with women at the center are niche experiences..." We know women in the movies are incredible. We know that women movie makers are incredible. With Disney’s Frozen (directed by a woman) taking more than one billion, directors like Kathryn Bigelow winning Oscars, with a host of amazing actresses, singers and performers gracing the red carpets, let’s celebrate the artistry, creativity and sheer beauty and mastery of women everywhere by watching a strong female movie. Whichever woman inspires you matters not. Be it Erin Brockovich, Mary Poppins, the Black Widow, Carrie Bradshaw or Mrs. Miniver – sing out for women in the movies and watch your favorite on TV, cable, DVD, Netflix or YouTube.
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It’s not hard to find ways to celebrate International Women’s Day. You’re a fully signed up member of this great club. You qualify! No entrance exam needed! How are you going to mark it?