Women’s History Month occurs annually in March. It’s an excellent opportunity to celebrate the females of past and present who have made significant contributions to their communities, society and the world. It’s also a fantastic way for tech businesses to honor women in the workplace and beyond. 

Why Should Tech Businesses Celebrate Women’s History Month?

Many women feel — and are — underrepresented in the workplace and the world, even when they contribute as much or more than their male-identifying colleagues. This reality is especially stark in the tech industry. Improvements are underway, but there’s still much more work to accomplish.

It’s also not as common as it should be for women to lead tech companies. Consider a study of Web3 startups. Those companies work with innovative technologies such as the blockchain and the metaverse. Research showed only 13% of founding teams at those companies include a woman. Then, only 3% have such teams exclusively made up of females.

Many women in tech also face everyday sexism while getting passed over for promotions or other opportunities at work. Choosing to celebrate the month doesn’t solve these issues, of course. And, if women are getting discriminated against while at work, that’s a larger human resources problem. But workplaces must show that women are valued for their contributions within the workforce and larger society. Here are some ways to do that. 

Spotlight Women’s Achievements

Many people know Ada Lovelace as an early computer programmer, but their knowledge of how women have contributed to the tech world might be spotty at best beyond that. Consider using a physical bulletin board or email messaging system to tell everyone one woman per day who has done great things in the world. 

Present the information in various formats, catering to everyone who’ll see it. For example, the content could include a few interesting facts as bullet points, then a lengthier bio for people with more time to digest that information. 

If it’s feasible based on the number of women in your tech company, spotlight at least one of them daily alongside the historical figures you choose. Mention their name, department and something outstanding they’ve done lately. That approach reinforces that women do amazing things every day, and people can experience that while at work. 

Launch a Women’s Scholarship

Research indicates there are many reasons for female underrepresentation in the tech world. Some women get steered toward other career paths while they’re still young, for example. However, other cases exist where people are in the middle of studying for tech careers and encounter financial difficulties that force them to quit.

 Your workplace can address that issue by creating a scholarship program that gets launched during Women’s History Month. Consider how Watermark — a company specializing in educational intelligence — has a scholarship program where two female-identifying applicants get $5,000 to go toward continuing their tech-related studies.

Such scholarships could be life-changing for women who are in tough situations due to finances. By offering a tech scholarship for females, your company can signal it’s part of the solution to improved equality in the tech sector rather than contributing to well-known problems. 

Draw Attention to Female Authors and Stories 

Women’s History Month offers a fantastic opportunity to encourage employees to join a book club where people read stories featuring or written by females. It’s even better if the chosen books feature women from marginalized groups or those who have overcome great adversity. 

Consider whether it works best for people to select one longer book to read over the period or if they’d prefer to read short stories, poems or even articles. The easiest way to get everyone’s feedback is to take a poll. 

Then, remember that discussion of the content is as or more important than the material itself. Be sure to plan time for people to weigh in with their feelings about the various themes, characters and other specifics. Decide if it’s more appropriate to meet online or face-to-face to do this. Online meetups offer better flexibility, but in-person discussions are often more memorable. 

Engage Employees in New Ways

Employees often solve problems and share new ideas when interacting with each other. They may also be more open to discussions when they’re in different environments. Think of some potential ways to boost employee engagement while celebrating Women’s History Month. 

That might mean going to an art museum in your city and having attendees focus on works made by females. It could also include planning a day of service at a women’s refuge, soup kitchen or another community establishment.

The whole idea is to get people out of a familiar environment and routine. Doing this could also make it easier for people across departments and age groups. It’s all too easy for employees to get in the habit of mostly spending time with those they typically need to interact with most. However, engagement opportunities can help them break out of that common pattern. 

Start a Mentoring Program 

Thriving in the workplace can be challenging, and that’s especially true for new hires, recent graduates or others trying to learn the ropes. However, a mentoring program can be a great way to help people navigate challenges while learning and sharing what they know. 

It could take months to get a mentoring program started. However, Women’s History Month offers a good opportunity to let people know that your tech business will have one soon and solicit feedback on what an ideal mentoring program looks like to them. 

A 2023 study Association for Talent Development study found 42% of organizations planned to start mentoring programs within the next several years. The companies that already had such initiatives reported a wide range of benefits. For example, 61% said mentees had higher job satisfaction, while 57% reported stronger organizational culture. 

Celebrate and Respect Women All Year Around 

People in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia celebrate Women’s History Month every March, while some individuals in other places have different times of the year to mark the event. The ideas here give you some practical starting points, but this topic is also a good reminder that women deserve recognition throughout the year.