Throughout March, the Library marked Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day with a wide range of activities designed to celebrate women’s achievements, amplify diverse voices, and encourage learning, reflection, and connection across our University community.
From curated book displays and collaborative reading lists to events, pledges, and digital learning opportunities, it’s been inspiring to see so many students and colleagues engaging with what the Library has to offer. Here’s a round‑up of everything that took place.
Celebrating Women’s History Month in the Library
We kicked off March by highlighting Women’s History Month 2026 in the Library, sharing how staff and students could get involved throughout the month. A central part of this was our Women’s History Month book display, featuring titles that celebrate women’s social, cultural, political, and economic contributions across history and into the present day. Visitors were encouraged to browse, borrow, and suggest new additions to keep the collection growing.
Alongside the physical display, we also promoted our Women’s History Month Reading List, making it easy for anyone to explore these resources online via LibrarySearch and engage with women’s stories in their own time.
International Women’s Day: Give to Gain
International Women’s Day on 8 March was marked in the Library with activities inspired by the 2026 theme, “Give to Gain.” This year’s campaign focused on how giving time, support, knowledge, and advocacy can help create opportunities for women – and how everyone benefits when women thrive.
In the Library, this included a poster display and pledge opportunity, where visitors could show their support for gender equality, strike the Give to Gain pose, or take away a colouring sheet. We also took part in the Countdown to IWD on social media, sharing daily posts and encouraging the University community to join the wider conversation using the #GiveToGain hashtag.
We also signposted a range of International Women’s Day events, both in Scotland and online, helping staff and students connect with talks, screenings, and discussions taking place beyond campus.
View our Celebrating International Women’s Day 2026 in the Library blog post.
Learning and Development with LinkedIn Learning
To support Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day from a skills and development perspective, we shared several LinkedIn Learning resources designed to fit easily into busy schedules.
These included the Women’s History Month LinkedIn Learning Learner Challenge, a 20‑day, bite‑sized programme of short videos exploring themes such as confidence, inclusive leadership, everyday activism, and tackling bias. The challenge was open to all University of Stirling staff and students and encouraged small daily learning moments with meaningful impact.
We also highlighted new International Women’s Day on‑demand learning pathways within LinkedIn Learning. These role‑based content maps helped individual contributors, people managers, and leaders explore curated learning linked to mentoring, advocacy, equity, and inclusion – reinforcing the idea that investing in learning is a powerful way to “give to gain”.
Shifting the Narrative: Feminist Stories and Perspectives
One of the highlights of this year’s programme was the launch of Shifting the Narrative: Feminist Stories and Perspectives, a new feminist reading list created in collaboration with the FEM Society, with recommendations from students and Library staff.
The list brings together fiction, memoir, and feminist writing that explores gender, identity, power, and lived experience, to amplify underrepresented voices and encourage thoughtful conversation. We invited the community to help the list grow by suggesting further titles, ensuring it remains inclusive and reflective of many different perspectives.
Browse the Shifting the Narrative: Feminist Stories and Perspectives reading list.
Later in the month, we brought this reading list to life with a dedicated book display in the Library, making it even easier to discover and borrow titles from the collection. It was fantastic to see so many people engaging with the display and starting conversations sparked by these powerful works.
FEM Society Book Group
To round off Women’s History Month, we were delighted to collaborate with the FEM Society on a book group event in the Library. Held in the JISC Innovation Hub, the session focused on Sultana’s Dream by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain and offered a welcoming space to read, reflect, and discuss feminist ideas together over tea and sweet treats.
The event was a great example of how the Library can support community‑led discussion and shared learning, and it tied perfectly into the themes of both Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day.
Spreading a Little Joy with the Library Book Fairies
To add an element of surprise to Women’s History Month, the Library Book Fairies hid women‑authored and feminist books around campus. These books were free to take home, encouraging readers to discover new voices and stories in unexpected places. It was a simple but joyful way to share women’s writing and spark curiosity throughout March.
Thank You for Taking Part
Thank you to everyone who visited a display, took part in an activity, joined an event, completed a Learner Challenge, or picked up a book during March. Your engagement helps keep these conversations going well beyond Women’s History Month.
If you missed anything, all of the reading lists and digital resources highlighted this month remain available – and we encourage you to keep exploring, learning, and sharing stories that challenge assumptions and celebrate women’s voices all year round.