Turning Women’s Day into Year-Round Empowerment

By Avinash Deshmukh, Chief Joy Officer (CJO)

I was sitting in yet another Women’s Day planning meeting last week when Priya from Marketing said something that stopped us all in our tracks: “If I see one more basic template celebration or random motivational quote about empowerment, I might just go home early that day.”

The conference room in our Bangalore office went quiet. Then everyone burst out laughing, because she’d voiced what we were all thinking. Deepa from HR nodded vigorously while trying not to spill her chai, and even our usually reserved CFO Meera cracked a smile.

Here’s the thing about Women’s Day at work—somewhere between the well-meaning intentions and the execution, we’ve created a predictable formula. Send the mass email, order some pastries, book a guest speaker, distribute gift hampers, done. But what if we could do something that actually resonates with the real challenges and aspirations of working women in India today?

Let me share a story.

Last year, at a growing tech company in Whitefield, something unexpected happened. Instead of the usual celebration, they tried something different. Their HR head, Anjali, decided to ask every woman in the company one simple question: “What would make you feel genuinely valued at work?”

The answers weren’t what anyone expected.

The Power of One Question

What they heard was fascinating. The junior developers spoke about wanting structured mentorship programs—not just a one-off “women in tech” seminar, but real, ongoing guidance from senior women engineers. Kavita, a team lead, mentioned how she was tired of being the only woman in architecture meetings and wished for a program to encourage more women to take on technical leadership roles.

But it was Lakshmi from Accounts who really got everyone thinking. She said, “We talk about women’s empowerment once a year, but what about the other 364 days? I want to see change in our everyday work life.” She talked about how she’d love to see an environment where women didn’t have to constantly prove themselves more than their male counterparts.

The responses transformed their entire approach. Instead of planning yet another standard celebration, they created what they called “Project 365”—a year-long initiative that launched on Women’s Day but continued way beyond it.

What Made It Different?

Here’s what stood out:

Monthly Chai and Chat Sessions became a thing—but not the formal, awkward networking events we’re all used to. These were real conversations where women could speak freely about their challenges and victories. When Shreya from Sales talked about struggling with work-life balance after her second child, it sparked a company-wide discussion about flexible working hours.
Skills Exchange Program: Women across departments shared their expertise. Who knew Namrata from Finance was brilliant at data visualization? Soon she was running workshops for other teams, breaking down the silos that often keep women isolated in their respective departments.
Mentor Circles: Instead of the usual top-down approach, they created mentor circles. Experienced leaders like Sudha, who’d been in tech for 20 years, shared their journey, while younger team members brought fresh perspectives on new technologies and workplace dynamics.
Voice Circles: Smaller groups of 4-5 women met regularly to practice everything from presentation skills to salary negotiations. Zara, a quiet but brilliant UX designer, found her voice in these sessions. Six months later, she was confidently leading client presentations.

The Roadblocks and Breakthroughs

It wasn’t all smooth sailing. Some managers (both men and women) saw these initiatives as “special treatment.” The turning point came when Radhika, their CEO, shared her own story of struggling in a male-dominated industry. “This isn’t about special treatment,” she said during a town hall, “it’s about creating equal opportunities that acknowledge and address real challenges.”

The Results? Unexpected and Transformative

The biggest impact wasn’t in the numbers (though those improved too—40% more women in senior roles within 18 months). The real change was in the everyday moments:

When Pooja from Engineering confidently challenged a senior architect’s design decision (and turned out to be right).
How Meenakshi started a working mothers’ support group that transformed into a company-wide parenting resource.
The day Farah, a junior analyst, presented her innovative market research methodology to the board.

But perhaps the most telling change came from an exit interview that never happened. Sonal, a senior developer who had been quietly job hunting, decided to stay. “For the first time,” she said, “I feel like I don’t have to choose between being respected and being myself.”

The Ripple Effect

They still celebrate Women’s Day, but differently now. It’s become less about a single day of recognition and more about celebrating the ongoing journey of creating real change.

The best part? Other companies started noticing. Not because of flashy PR campaigns or corporate awards, but because of what their employees were saying. At industry meetups and conferences, women would talk about how different it felt to work there.

A startup in HSR Layout decided to try their own version. Instead of copying the exact model, they adapted it to their smaller, more informal culture. Their twist? “Skill Saturdays”—where women from the tech community (not just their employees) could come together to learn, teach, and network. It started with 15 people in their office pantry. Three months later, they had to rent a bigger space to accommodate 100+ regular attendees.
A multinational in Electronic City created “Project Mentor”—matching senior women leaders with promising talent from tier-2 and tier-3 cities. “Talent isn’t limited to metros,” explained Priyanka, their L&D head. “But opportunities often are.”
An IT services firm in Whitefield transformed their traditional Women’s Day awards ceremony into monthly recognition events. “Why wait for March 8th?” asked Ritu, their HR director. They started acknowledging achievements as they happened—from technical innovations to mentorship excellence.

The Deeper Shift

But here’s what really made me think. During a recent coffee chat, Gayatri, a senior manager with 15 years of experience, said something profound: “You know what’s changed? My daughter asked me about my work yesterday, and for the first time, I told her about it with pure joy. No buts, no howevers, just pride in what we’re building here.”

We’re not just changing workplaces; we’re changing narratives. When Dia, a fresh graduate, joined last month, she didn’t have to pioneer being “the only woman on the team” or “the first woman leader”—she joined a community where women were already thriving, leading, and lifting each other up.

Yes, we still face challenges. Yes, there’s still work to be done. But something fundamental has shifted. Women’s Day is no longer about ticking a box or making a token gesture. It’s become a reminder to audit our progress, realign our goals, and celebrate not just what women achieve, but how we’re transforming the very nature of work itself.

As Arundhati, our veteran tech lead, puts it: “We’re not just coding software anymore; we’re programming change.”

How You Can Be Part of This Change

Want to start something meaningful in your workplace? Begin with one simple question: “What would make you feel genuinely valued?” Then listen—really listen. You might be surprised by what you hear.

And yes, we still have chai and samosas on Women’s Day. But now they come with a side of real conversation, genuine support, and actionable change. That’s worth celebrating, any day of the year.

So, what’s your story? What would make you feel valued at work? Let’s keep this conversation going—because change doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when we listen, act, and lift each other up.