IWD in schools

Celebrating International Women's Day in Schools

Take time on International Women's Day to think about the extraordinary women in our everyday lives.

Helping children of all ages and all genders find inspiration and courage from diverse women role models is key to education. And teaching children and young adolescents to actively question and openly challenge stereotypes and bias is important because it helps forge a more inclusive world. It is for this reason that International Women's Day in collaboration with Puffin Schools is providing practical and insightful classroom resources for teachers around the world. The education of children about gender issues is an important means by which we can forge equality.

And teachers, in addition to the brilliant downloadable resources below, remember to select some of the inspiring and informative International Women's Day videos as classroom discussion starters to reinforce important gender concepts or to provide entertaining ways to celebrate the day.


Dowload useful International Women's Day resources

Below are some insightful gender resources for teachers and librarians.

International Women's Day Book Study

The International Women's Day Book Study provides in-depth material for five, hour-long lessons that can take place during classes or as extra-curricular activities. The International Women's Day Book Study covers literacy, history, drama and art objectives. It serves as an exciting and important introduction to the equality themes addressed in ‘Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History’ - a beautifully illustrated book by Vashti Harrison, championing many women who have changed the world and in their own ways have all forged equality.


International Women's Day Sisterhood Book Club

Access the thought-provoking IWD Sisterhood Book Club questions and resource to promote and guide inspiring discussion about this selection of classic novels.


Penguin School Resources

International Women's Day Schools Resource Pack

The International Women's Day (IWD) Resource Pack for Schools has been created to champion the cause of International Women's Day using favourite stories and authors, exclusively selected to spark discussion in classrooms. The objective of the IWD Resource Pack is for students, whether aged from 5 through to 14, to understand the significance of International Women’s Day, as well as their own role in the continued campaign for equality.


Penguin School Reading Lists

International Women's Day Reading List

We want to give young readers access to new feminist icons and ideas - female authors and artists to be inspired by, women-centred stories to learn from, fantastic heroines to befriend. From time-travellers to detectives, supermodels to superpowers, this diverse collection includes something for everyone. The International Women's Day Reading List is a curated round-up of the best fiction and non-fiction books for raising the next generation of feminists.


46 books about women who changed the world

Discover stories about women who stood up, spoke out, struggled through, and soared.


Further classroom and library resources


Show International Women's Day videos

Use some of the inspiring and thought-provoking International Women's Day videos available from around the world as great classroom discussion starters or teaching resources.


Teaching notes for the gender stereotypes viral video

Watch the viral video challenging gender stereotypes. Use the accompanying Teaching Notes to discuss the topic "what if women and men switched for a day?"

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