This blog post was updated on May 15, 2020.
International Women’s Day (also called International Working Women’s Day) is a worldwide celebration of women’s rights, goals and achievements – celebrated on (and in the days leading up to) March 8th. The official color for the day is purple, and people around the world wear purple ribbons to show their support of and appreciation for women.
The theme for 2015 is “Make It Happen” – a slogan that calls for the continued socio-economic advancement of women, an end to violence, and an increase in female leadership in the private and public sectors. Many cities around the globe are hosting International Women’s Day events this year. Whether you attend an event or not, you can make your voice heard on social media by using the hashtags #MakeItHappen, #IWD2015, #InternationalWomensDay and #PaintItPurple. Here are three inspiring International Women’s Day events to check out.
WeCon Women’s Empowerment Conference (Austin, Texas)
March 7 & 8, 2015
WeCon is a resource fair and community conference open to anyone who is interested in women’s issues. In addition to a variety of panels and discussions on gender, sexuality, race, employment, disability, and myriad other topics. There are creative workshops (songwriting, painting, etc.) geared for adolescents, teens and adults. In the spirit of inclusivity, WeCon is free to attend.
SheTalks YVR Conference (Surrey, British Columbia)
March 7, 2015
A new event on the International Women’s Day circuit, SheTalks is a one-day conference featuring 15 female speakers from the west coast of Canada. The diverse group includes conference founder Natasha Raey, author Megan Williams, You Glow Girl founder Diane Taylor, Sole Girls head coach Ashley Wiles, political activist Jodie Emery, blogger Jamie Dunlop Khau, Ladies Who Lunch founder Maria Kritikos, Broadbent Institute director Mira Oreck, Dominion Lending Centres CEO Diana Zitko, Lunapads co-founder Madeleine Shaw, fitness model/nurse Harpreet Pandher and lawyer Gurpreet Gill. Each woman’s eight-minute talk will address a variety of topics including life choices, career experiences, and educational backgrounds. Conference tickets are $40, or $25 for students, with all proceeds going toward the SheTalks scholarship fund.
5th WOW – Women of the World Festival (London, England)
March 1-8, 2015
This annual 8-day festival includes discussions, literary readings, comedy shows, plays, concerts, and plenty of time for constructively examining issues that face women around the world today. The focus of WOW 2015 is male violence against women. Speakers and artists featured at this year’s event include Caitlin Moran, Sarah Brown and Safak Pavey (the first disabled women elected to Turkish parliament), electro-pop pioneer tUnE-yArDs, and renowned British actress Juliet Stevenson – who will lead a celebration of the life and work of Emily Dickinson.
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