Mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, friends, co-workers; whoever she is, if there’s a woman in your life, you should take the opportunity to recognize all of her greatness, and International Woman’s Day is the perfect day to do just that!

Celebrated on March 8, International Woman’s Day (IWD) is a day that’s set aside to celebrate all of the incredible economic, social, and political accomplishments that women have achieved throughout history. IWD was first established and celebrated in 1911 by early 20^th century Suffragettes as a way to commemorate the long, hard road that women have had to endure throughout time in the battle for parity. IWD isn’t reserved for a specific group; in other words, it isn’t intended to honor women of a specific religion, culture, country, ethnicity, or from a specific organization, but rather it’s a day that’s intended to celebrate women from all walks of life. In addition to celebrating the many achievements that women have made throughout history, International Woman’s Day also encourages a call to action to accelerate gender equality. The day is intended to promote unity and reflection, too.

There’s no denying it; women are powerhouses and they deserve to receive the same treatment as their male counterparts. So, whether you’re a woman yourself and you want to celebrate the incredibleness of women, or you’re a man who wants to call attention to the amazingness of females, why not give a special lady in your life a gift to commemorate IWD?

Wondering what to give as a gift for International Woman’s Day? Here are some clever ideas that will make any woman feel proud.

Canvas Printed Artwork

Canvas printed artwork is an awesome gift idea for any occasion, including International Woman’s Day. A reputable printing company will be able to print virtually any image you can think onto high-quality canvas to create a stunning piece of artwork. Ideas to consider include:

• A college of influential women; think Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, Indira Gandhi, Hellen Keller, and Maya Angelou, just to name a few.
• A powerful quote or a collection of quotes about womanhood. A few examples to consider:
  • “Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women” ~ Maya Angelou
  • “She remembered who she was and the game changed” ~ Lalah Deliah
  • “When women support women, incredible things happen” ~ Emma Kate Dawson
  • “She was powerful, not because she wasn’t scared, but because she went on so strongly, despite the fear” ~ Atticus
  • “A man does what he can; a woman does what a man cannot” ~ Isabel Allende
• A single image or a collection of images that showcase the achievements women have made over the course of history; for example:
  • Marie Curie conducting experiments
  • Women Suffragettes celebrating their victory of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that guaranteed all American women the right to vote in 1920, or Emmeline Pankhurst holding a “Votes for Women” sign
  • Amelia Earhart standing near her plan
  • Women serving in the armed forces in any nation
  • Rosa Parks sitting on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama, a crucial moment in the U.S. Civil Rights movement.

In addition to these ideas, you could also have canvas prints created that showcases the powerful women in your life or the gift recipient’s life; grandmothers, mothers, sisters, aunts, daughters, and so on. Whichever option you choose, a canvas print is sure to be a gift that any woman would love to receive to commemorate IWD.

Books Written By and/or About Powerful Women

Promote power by gifting the women in your life with books to add to their library. There so many amazing books that have been written by powerful women or that are about the strength and endurance of women. A few titles that any woman would love to add to her collection include:

• “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens. The story may be fictional, but the theme – which focuses on women’s resiliency and strength to preserver in even the most trying situations – is not.
• “#Girlboss” by Sophia Amoruso. Part memoir part advice, this story was written by Sophia Amoruso, an American woman who overcame adversity when she launched her own online retail store Nasty Gal and became the second youngest woman to be listed on the Forbes’ list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women in 2016.
• “The Anna Meares Story: The Fighting Spirit of a Champion, in Her Own Words” by Anna Meares. This biographical story accounts the trials and tribulations Australian track cyclist and decorated Olympian, who won multiple medals and broke world records, after she suffered a broken neck.
• “I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban” by Malala Yousafzai, an autobiography that highlights the strength and determination of the author, Mala Yousafzai, who stood up to the Taliban and fought for her right to an education and became a symbol for peaceful protest across the world and at the age of 16, was the youngest person to ever be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

The above are just a small sampling of the outstanding titles that showcase the incredible strength, determination, and pride of women. Just do a quick search online and you’ll find an endless collection of titles that would make incredible IWD gifts.

Self-Care Gifts

Despite the incredible power that women possess, they do need some downtime to maintain their strength. To that end, offering a gift that encourages self-care is a great idea for International Women’s Day, and something that any woman in your life could surely benefit from. Sign that special lady in your life up for a Yoga class (and maybe attend it with her, too!), get her a gift card for a massage or a float (sensory deprivation therapy, which offers numerous benefits), a Chamomile tea gift set (including a mug and a collection of loose leaf tea or tea bags), luxurious scented lotions and candles, healing oils – lavender, eucalyptus, lemongrass, frankincense, etc. – and a diffuser… There are dozens of restorative activities and products that you could gift the special women in your life.

Superhero-Themed Items

Trials, tribulations, triumphs; these are just some of the reasons that make all women superheroes in their own right. Make that incredible gal feel like the hero she is with some novelty gifts that feature the emblems of famous women superheroes; Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Okoye, Supergirl, Black Widow, Gwen-Stacy (AKA, Spider-Gwen), Batgirl, and Elastigirl, for example.  A quick search on the Internet for “female superhero products” or “women superhero merchandise” will reveal an endless array of options, such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, aprons, mugs, socks, robes, hats, scarves, and so much more. If you can’t find something that would meet the gift recipient’s fancy or you have the perfect idea in mind but can’t find it already made, you can always have custom items made just for her; for example, professional screen printers can create numerous custom-made products that feature the emblems of female superheroes.

Coffee

Coffee is the fuel that real-life superheroes run on, so why not give the gift of Liquid Gold (as we like to call it) for IWD? Coffee is a super thoughtful gift and something that you know will be put to good use. You can purchase an assortment of coffees, creamers, and sweeteners and assemble a DIY gift basket, or you can shop online or at brick-and-mortar retailers for pre-made coffee gift baskets. A new coffee mug would be a great addition to this gift, too; a mug that features the gift recipient’s initials or a motivational or funny quote (“a bad day with coffee is better than a good day without it”, “chaos coordinator fueled by caffeine”, “behind every successful woman is herself”, “nasty woman”, etc.). Another idea: have a personalized mug made up for her; something that features a photo of you and her together, her and her family, or influential women (see examples listed above in the “Canvas Prints” section.)

Jewelry

Last on our list of International Women’s Day gifts is jewelry. There are so many different and incredible ideas that would make awesome gifts to celebrate amazingness of women. When we did a quick search online, we found some fantastic options. Cuff bracelets and pendant necklaces that are engraved with “The Future is Female”, “Nevertheless, She Persisted”, and “Be the Change”, for example. If you can’t find something premade that you like, you could have a custom-made item crafted. For instance, you might have “Fearless”, “Still We Rise,” or “Girl Power” engraved on earrings, necklaces, or bracelets.

Whatever you choose, the women in your life would feel totally empowered when they wear any piece of jewelry that features a motivational inscription.

Final Thoughts

While women should be celebrated every day, International Women’s Day is set aside to remind both women and men to revel in the greatness that is femaleness. Any of the above-mentioned ideas would uplift and encourage those extraordinary ladies in your life.