How *You* Can Support Women This International Women’s Day

THINX Inc. is committed to celebrating women every dang day, and International Women’s Day—a day to honor the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women—is no exception. This year, we teamed up with PERIOD, our life partner in our United for Access menstrual equity campaign (did you catch the menstrual equity moment at the Oscars this year?!), to spread access to free and accessible period products near and far.

Everyone at our NYC headquarters pitched in to pack and hand-deliver 1,000 period kits to the Women’s Prison Association, a non-profit committed to supporting women with the supplies, resources, and tools they need throughout every stage in the criminal justice system.

There’s no one, correct way to celebrate or support women, and if there’s any time to figure out how *you* can make a difference, it’s now! Here are a few simple, meaningful ways to celebrate IWD in your community:

Host a period-kit packing party

We can say firsthand that packing parties are a simple, impactful way to support your fellow period-having humans this IWD. A period kit (or any supply kit!) can be as simple as a brown paper bag loaded with basic necessities for people in need. Plus, packing parties are super fun (hint: just add karaoke).

Show your support on social media

Participate in the official IWD #BalanceforBetter social media movement! The IWD website even has ready-made selfie-cards you can print out and hold up in your pictures. Showing your support through social media is easy, and it’s a big step towards bringing awareness to the holiday, and communicating why it matters.

Start new conversations

Taking the time to share perspectives with someone who comes from a different walk of life from you is a key step in starting essential dialogues, and course-correcting the historical mistake of weighing some people’s voices over others.

Striking up conversations with new people about topics that are usually dismissed as “women’s issues” — like menstrual equity, the wage gap, or rape culture — helps those issues become part of our larger cultural discourse (and brings them to the attention of folks who might not have thought about them before!)

Donate to feminist organizations

This is a given, but it bears repeating. Check out a few of our favorite non-profit friends: Planned Parenthood, Safe Horizon, Girls Inc., and PERIOD.

If donating money isn’t realistic for you, there are tons of organizations, like Dress For Success, that accept clothes and other goods, and not just cash. Last but not least, it’s always a great idea to consider donating to local charities, to ensure that your donations benefit women in your immediate community.

Support woman-run businesses

More and more women are entering high-level positions in the workplace (hell yeah!) and it’s important to recognize this reality for what it is: a significant movement forward, being powered by women themselves. These leaps and bounds deserve our ongoing, intentional support. The simplest way to show it? Spend your dollars on woman-run and owned businesses!

Phone a friend

Sometimes IWD means giving yourself time to reconnect with important women (and other folks) in your life. At THINX Inc. our office will be closed for the day so we can all celebrate IWD in the ways that feel best for *us*. We hope you do the same, whether it happens on IWD or not!

We’re wishing you a very happy International Women’s Day! How will you be honoring the women in your life, and the world? Share in the comments!

Our giveback initiatives run 24/7, 365— learn more about the pillars of our work here.