There’s no shortage of ways to mark Women’s History Month (WHM) – but the most meaningful ones connect to the real work women in print do every day.

Awareness is a start. Action is better. Here are five ideas, whether you’re looking to make a company-wide commitment or a simple one-to-one gesture – all focused on the four pillars of industry leadership we’re celebrating at Women in Print Alliance this month.

1. Put a Face to Your Sustainability Story
Environmental Sustainability
Environmental responsibility is one of the most visible conversations in print right now. Profile the woman on your team driving your company’s green initiatives — FSC certification, waste reduction, ink and chemistry transitions — and share it on LinkedIn and in your internal communications. Or invite a female vendor or supplier rep to lead a lunch-and-learn on responsible sourcing or substrate innovation. If you have a sustainability committee, take stock of who’s on it. WHM is a good moment to be intentional about whose expertise is in the room.

2. Invest in the Next Generation of Women in Print
Educational Sustainability
Workforce development is an industry-wide challenge — and mentorship is one of the most effective tools we have. Consider pairing female employees, especially those early in their careers, with experienced colleagues and announcing it publicly in March. Reach out to a local college or vocational graphic communications program and offer to host a female student for a job shadow or plant tour. And don’t overlook the expertise already inside your walls — every shop has someone, often a woman, who holds decades of process knowledge. Acknowledge her publicly. Better yet, ask if she’d be willing to lead a training session or help document what she knows.

3. Make Women’s Contributions to Your Business Visible
Economic Sustainability: Operations & Leadership
Resist the urge to only highlight executives. Spotlighting a female press operator, CSR, or production planner sends a powerful message that your company values women across the organization. You might also use March as a prompt to examine one concrete thing: a promotion pathway, a parental leave policy, or a flexible scheduling option, and see if and where your company can push itself on these topics that are hugely important to women employees. Small structural improvements matter more than large symbolic gestures.

4. Celebrate the Women Who Built Something – and Preserve the Past While Looking Forward
Economic Sustainability: Entrepreneurship & Family-Owned Business
Print has a rich tradition of family-owned businesses and entrepreneurship, and women are often the backbone of those operations — as founders, co-owners, successors, or driving forces behind the scenes. If your company is women-owned or has a woman in a leadership or succession role, March is the moment to tell that story publicly.

Beyond March
The most meaningful thing your company can do this month is make a commitment that extends past March 31. After all, inclusive industry and corporate cultures aren’t built in a month.

And remember: the long-term viability of the printing industry depends on a diverse and inclusive workforce, and every action above is also a business decision.

Women in Print Alliance supports these goals every month of the year. Learn more at womeninprintalliance.org.