March 8 is International Women’s Day, known familiarly as IWD. For more than 100 years, this global day has honored the achievements of women across many aspects, including social, economic, cultural, and political. Once a “fringe movement,” IWD is now firmly mainstream and celebrated worldwide.

And while it’s a time to acknowledge how far women have come in the work world, it’s also a sobering day to absorb the fact that it will still take until 2058 (roughly five generations from now) to reach full economic gender parity assuming progress continues at its current rate, according to the World Economic Forum.

IWD 2025 Theme: Accelerate Action

That’s why the IWD 2025 theme is “Accelerate Action.” Specifically, it’s a worldwide call to “acknowledge strategies, resources, and activity that positively impact women’s advancement, and to support and elevate their implementation.”

One of the biggest ways to help Accelerate Action? Support the supporters. So, to answer IWD’s global call-to-action to incorporate an element of women-focused fundraising into the day’s celebration, Women in Print Alliance is launching a “Give the Gift of Membership” campaign throughout the month of March.

Give the Gift of Women in Print Alliance Membership

All month long, anyone – male or female – can do their individual part to collectively accelerate action for women in the printing industry by gifting an individual membership at the special rate of $59 per membership. (Student memberships are always free, by the way. And companies interested in sponsoring multiple female employees at once, can do so by leveraging our corporate membership option.)

By providing a gift membership to a woman at any level or in any role in the printing industry, you’ll contribute to her career advancement by providing access to professional education opportunities like workshops and webinars, plus help grow her network through exclusive industry networking events.

Other Ways to Accelerate Action

Beyond financial support, there are other ways men and women in the printing industry can “Accelerate Action.” These include:

  • Forging women’s economic empowerment – a really formal way of saying “pay women what they’re worth.”
  • Recruiting diverse talent to round out your workforce AND developing that diverse talent once they are onboarded. This helps ensure women are well-equipped to climb that crucial first promotional rung of career advancement.
  • Including women in leadership development programs to help sharpen their business, technical, and decision-making skills.
  • Providing continuous education opportunities to female employees, such as access to specialized certifications like customers service or G-7, or offering financial support for post-graduate studies.

And don’t forget that women working in today’s print industry were once little girls. IWD is a great opportunity for printing companies to ask themselves, “What are we doing to support the artistic, creative, and leadership pursuits of girls in our community?”

Sponsoring local sports teams, donating paper or arts supplies to schools, or partnering with groups like Girls Scouts of America (which offers a merit badge in Sustainable Packaging) are just a few ways the printing industry can empower the next generation of women.

IWD: Inclusive Not Exclusive – Everyone Can Celebrate!

Overall, it’s key to remember that IWD is not about one country, group or organization; it belongs to everyone. And everyone can contribute at least one unique action to celebrate in 2025.