‘Inspire Inclusion’ is the theme of International Women’s Day 2024, which has been chosen to highlight how, by inviting all women to have a seat at the table, we can forge a better world. Founded in 1911, International Women’s Day serves to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness for women’s equality, lobby for gender parity and fundraise for female-focused charities. In 2024, this equates to a host of exciting talks, festivals, events and exhibitions, which are being held throughout March in honour of women around the world. Here’s how you can get involved…

Add to your jewellery box

Rachel Boston

Minka Jewels

Throughout the month of March, east-London based fine jeweller Rachel Boston will be donating 20 per cent of sales from her geometric chamfered rectangular necklace in-store and online to Women for Refugee Women: a female-led charity that Boston has supported for many years which helps to empower and give a voice to refugee and asylum-seeking women in the UK. 

Elsewhere, British fine jeweller Minka Jewels will be donating 15 per cent of sales across their signature semi-precious Athena collection to Smart Works throughout the month of March. Smart Works is a UK charity that exists to give unemployed women the confidence they need to fulfil their full potential, secure employment and change the trajectory of their lives. 

Visit rachelboston.co.uk and minkajewels.com

Be inspired at Kindred

Kindred – the ex-private members’ club turned community space in Hammersmith – will host an array of insightful events celebrating International Women’s Month throughout March. Kicking off on the 4 March, Kindred will partner with the Nourish Hub for a huge free community dinner and facilitate ice-breaker games to help people get to know each other while serving a delicious, shared feast. Elsewhere on IWD itself on 8 March, the space will host Girls I Rate and Notion magazine to present Step In – a party night for the Amapiano lovers, vibe bringers and steppers celebrating the most exciting rising stars on the Amapiano scene. Also don’t miss the Cheese and Wine Club on 20 March – featuring delicious produce from Chiswick Cheese Market and Basket Press Wines – and spoken word evening, Voices in Power, on 21 March.

Visit wearekindred.com

Get a new headshot at The Marylebone

It’s often an afterthought but having a professional headshot with which to present yourself online and to new clients can make all the difference to securing career opportunities. In recognition of this, the Doyle Collection hotel group will be offering women the chance to have a headshot taken at The Marylebone in London on 5 and 6 March, as well as The Bristol in Bristol, The Westbury in Dublin, The River Lee in Cork and The Dupont Circle in Washington D.C on various dates throughout the month. In London, portraits will be shot by Helen Mulvaney, an award-winning photographer whose work has been featured in ES Magazine and Grazia. Reserve your space for £15, all of which will be donated to Smart Works. 

Elsewhere at The Marylebone, the hotel will host a panel discussion event compèred by BBC broadcaster Jo Good on 19 March, while over at The Kensington hotel, senior V&A curator, Kate Bailey, will provide a unique insight into the new exhibition, Redefining the Diva. 

Visit eventbrite.co.uk and sevenrooms.co.uk

Upgrade your pyjamas with CJW

Luxury clothing brand CJW – famous for its joyful hand-illustrated PJs, scarves and accessories – has released a new line celebrating International Women's Day. Honouring trailblazing female artists, such as Yayoi Kusama, Frida Kahlo and Tracy Emin, this collection features wearable art pieces that embody the spirit of women who have reshaped the art world. Pre-orders begin 1 March, with 20 per cent of March sales pledged to educate girls globally through the Malala Fund. 

Great Women Artists pyjamas by CJW

£155

Buy Now

Support female artists at the Affordable Art Fair

Weaver by Marcelina Amelia/Liberty Gallery

Lunch Break by Anna Sudbina

This International Women’s Day, Battersea’s Affordable Art Fair (running from 7-10 March) gives all art lovers the chance to celebrate in style, with a special display of artworks by international female artists and IWD-themed Art After Dark evenings on 7 and 8 March, featuring female DJs, feminist collage workshops, themed cocktails, and much more. The IWD special display will feature a selection of 14 female artists from around the world, working across the fields of portraiture to symbolism and abstraction. Some of the most exciting artists selected include Marcelina Amelia – whose portrait Weaver celebrates the pioneering women’s rights advocate and former US associate justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg – and street artist Pang, who will exhibit You Dumped, a work that took shape over decades, starting from a nude portrait painted when the artist was 18 years old.

Visit affordableartfair.com

Sip cocktails with Big Mamma Group

Big Mamma – the restaurant group responsible for London’s most-Instagrammable trattorias Gloria, Circolo Popolare, Ave Mario, Jacuzzi and Carlotta – will be celebrating their brilliant female employees throughout March. For International Women’s Day, the group is partnering with The Circle, which supports women-led global feminism, to raise funds to help women in crisis across the globe via a new cocktail. 

Available from 4-17 March, all Big Mamma's London-based restaurants will be serving Spice Up Her Life: a fiery elixir crafted with tequila, passion fruit syrup, ginger ale, and honey, with £1 of every sale donated to The Circle. And for that extra special touch? On 8 March, this sweet concoction comes with an even sweeter gesture – a shining bunch of yellow mimosa flowers (Big Mamma’s Italian symbol for Women’s Day) from female-founded floristry Pollenet for customers to take home. 

Visit bigmammagroup.com

Pamper yourself at Duck & Dry at Nobu

As part of an exclusive collaboration for International Women's Day, Duck & Dry will host a pop-up event at Nobu Hotel London Portman Square from 8-10 March. Whether you wish to celebrate with your friends, want to treat your mum for Mother's Day, or are in need of a pamper session yourself, pick from an extensive treatment menu ranging from dry styling to classic express manicures. While it's recommended to book in advance, walk-in appointments may also be accommodated. As an extra treat on 8 and 9 March, guests visiting the pop-up will also receive a complimentary glass of champagne at Nobu Restaurant when enjoying the a la carte menu. 

Visit duckanddry.com

Celebrate female chefs at Firebird

Adriana Cavita

Anna Ortiz

Firebird – Soho’s female-owned, open-fire restaurant – is excited to announce the return of its Firebird & Friends series, which, this March, will invite London’s most exciting female chefs, restaurateurs and sommeliers to create a series of memorable dining experiences in celebration of International Women’s Month. Kicking off on IWD on 8 March, Adriana Cavita and Ana Ortiz have teamed up on a sensational collaborative menu centered around flame and fire cooking. On the night, all guests will receive a smoky mezcal welcome cocktail from female-led distillers Maya Jules, alongside a choice of natural Mexican wines from the trendy Bichi winery.

On 20 March, Abby Lee – head chef and founder of Mambow – will create a menu filled with punchy and vibrant dishes including the Pulut Panggang, grilled glutinous rice rolls with dried shrimp sambal, that will be paired with bold wines by Firebird sommelier and co-founder Anna Dolgushina. Finally on 25 March, Ekstedt at The Yard’s Theres Andersson will take the helm, bringing her innovative approach to Scandinavian seafood cooking to Soho where her MasterChef signature dish will also make an appearance…

Visit firebird.co.uk

Indulge in an exclusive tasting menu at Pahli Hill Bandra Bhai

In celebration of International Women’s Day, fine-dining Indian restaurant Pahli Hill Bandra Bhai has announced an exclusive dinner on 6 March hosted by chef and food journalist Romy Gill, as part of its Pahli Hill Society Series. Head chef Avi Shashidhara and Gill will celebrate Indian cultural heritage and recipes passed down throughout generations with a seven-course set menu (£65pp) featuring dishes of Punjabi samosa chat with mint and tamarind chutney, lamb and morel yakhni coated in fennel seeds and blood orange and almond tart in cardamom custard. 

Visit pahlihillbandrabhai.com

Raise a toast at Silverleaf

Silverleaf – the acclaimed East London cocktail bar at Pan Pacific London – will host four globally-renowned female bartenders for a special takeover in celebration of International Women’s Day on 7 March. The event is set to be Silverleaf’s biggest takeover to date and will shine a light on some of the outstanding female talent in the hospitality industry worldwide. Guest bartenders include Chiara Tomei of Italy, Erin Hayes from the US, Edinburgh-based Selenia Di Palma and Cherry Lee from Singapore, and will each create a special serve for the evening using Hendrick’s gin. 

Alongside exceptional cocktails, guests can enjoy entertainment from live DJ performances from Chantelle Ayanna and Max Kion. A portion of the proceeds from the evening will also be donated to Equal Measures, a charity which aims to support marginalised groups in the drinks and hospitality industries.

Visit panpacific.com

Enjoy a powerful panel talk at Annabel’s

Under the 2024 IWD theme of ‘Inspire Inclusion’, Annabel’s and The Caring Family Foundation have secured an incredible panel line up featuring June Sarpong OBE as moderator, along with FT How To Spend It editor Jo Ellison, Sultana Tafadar KC – the UK’s first hijab-wearing criminal barrister – and actress Zawe Ashton for its annual breakfast at prestigious private members’ club, Annabel’s. Discussing topics such as empowerment, diversity and the foundation’s plans to establish a domestic abuse centre in London, followed by a performance from singer Grace Carter, the breakfast will also highlight The Caring Family Foundation’s initiatives supporting more than 10,000 women and children affected by domestic abuse since 2019. 

Visit annabels.co.uk

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