How To Honor Women’s History Month Without Corporate Performative Activism

Each year since 1995, the president of the United States has issued an official proclamation designating March as Women’s History Month. The celebration began in California in 1978 as Women’s History Week. It was scheduled to coincide with International Women’s Day, a global call for gender equality, which was held on March 8th, and had its 115th observance.

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter urged the entire nation to join in, stating, “Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built America were as vital as those of the men whose names we know so well.”

46 years later, President Carter’s words still ring true, as the structural and cultural barriers that lead to women receiving less recognition for their achievements persist.

The latest Women in the Workplace report by McKinsey and LeanIn found that organizations are actually showing declining commitment to gender diversity. Two in 10 companies admitted to placing low or no priority on women’s career advancement. Leadership statistics corroborate this lack of support. In 2025, only 93 women were promoted to manager-level roles for every 100 men. The odds were lower for women of color, with 74 being promoted for every 100 men. 

So, while March may find corporations hosting “Women’s Day” panels, selling “limited-edition” pink and purple branded items, or posting inspirational quotes about how the “Future is Female”, know that these actions are performative and fail to actually move the needle on women’s equality. 

Performative diversity refers to creating the appearance of inclusivity without implementing policies or taking actions to address systemic bias and inequality. What good does a company’s branded merch, social media spotlights, and PR campaign “celebrating” women serve, if that company maintains gender pay gaps, lacks comprehensive policies like paid maternity leave and flexible work arrangements, and fails to provide mentorship or leadership pipelines for the women that work there? 

To be truly effective, organizations must not only talk the talk, but they must also walk the walk. It’s not enough to commemorate a month. Companies need equitable policies, supportive structures, clear guidelines for advancement, systems to track diversity and pay equity, and accountability measures that ensure leadership upholds these practices. 

Don’t get tricked by the superficial; take matters into your own hands this Women’s History Month. Here are some non-performative ways to celebrate: 

Make it a point to learn about a woman in history whom you do not know much about. Attend talks, panels, or local events centered on women’s experiences. 

Bonus: If you are part of a book club, choose a book written by a woman or that centers a woman-specific story, then lead a discussion to discuss its impact. 

Use your platform to share the work of other women, especially women of color, who are often left behind. 

If you are a leader, ensure you model what intentional, equitable leadership looks like. Provide guidance to the women in your team. Women are less likely to receive regular, specific feedback. Lack of feedback hinders growth. Even worse, when women do receive feedback, it tends to be overwhelmingly negative. Commit to letting high-performing women know that they are doing a good job.

If you are a policymaker, don’t be afraid to look at policies through a gender-based lens. Disparate impact refers to practices that appear neutral on the surface but have a disproportionate effect on a protected group. For example, a company may require uninterrupted work experience for promotions, which disproportionately affects women who take maternity leave by making them ineligible. When creating or reviewing policies, it’s fair to ask yourself: Does this unfairly affect the women in this company?

Volunteer with organizations that support women and girls. Women’s shelters, for example, consistently need volunteers. In addition, women’s toiletry items, such as tampons and pads, are often overlooked when it comes to donations. 

If you have the resources, donate to organizations that fund or support women via entrepreneurship, education, healthcare, and gender-based violence, among other issues. 

Lastly, spend your coins on women-owned businesses. Money talks; financially supporting women who are actually promoting change, rather than corporations capitalizing on this month for profit, goes a long way.