As Women’s History Month continues to unfold, now is the perfect opportunity to give the special women in your life a gift basket that empowers them to grow and pursue their passions. Here at With Love From PDX, we’re celebrating all month long (and honestly forever because women’s empowerment is THAT important.) with a women’s history-themed gift basket that you can check out now by visiting our online shop.
Often enough, when we think of giving another person a gift, it is all about birthdays, holidays, and celebrations. We fill our gift baskets with items that are merely tasty, pretty, funny, or useful. But what about empowering? That probably is not the first word that comes to your mind when trying to pick out a theme for your gift basket.
You might be wondering how exactly can a gift be about women’s empowerment?
Before letting you in on some new ways of looking at gift-giving in general, let us begin with a brief overview of Women’s History Month and what the women’s empowerment movement is all about...
Throughout history, women have been systematically denied the social, educational, economic, political, and psychological freedoms that have always been enjoyed by men. They say time heals all wounds, but inequality between the sexes still exists today. In response, women’s empowerment is the process of reclaiming the freedoms that have long been denied. By empowering women across the five domains listed above, we can all play a major role in bringing to life a more equal and socially just world.
Just like you can celebrate a holiday like Easter with gift baskets. you can also use gift baskets, and gift-giving in general, to celebrate the women’s empowerment movement. As one of the most ancient forms of human communication, gift-giving can be a unique means of telling stories and spreading important ideas.
YOU have the power to say something empowering with your gift basket. As a community organizer, I put my values into my business everyday to ensure women and people of color entrepreneurs are represented in our gift collections. You can get creative with it, and also serve a purpose that includes gifting back. You can try to put together a gift basket that inspires the amazing women in your life to pursue their passions, educate themselves, and express their voices.
To help you get started here are three categories of gift ideas that when combined can turn a gift basket into the gift that keeps on giving AND empowering.
Educational Gift Basket Ideas
One of the most effective ways to empower another person is through education. All major life-journeys start with learning the basics before attempting to overcome greater challenges and obstacles down the road. At WLFPDX, we are willing to bet that all of the women in your life have dreams and pursuits that will require a certain level of both education and knowledge to achieve.
Knowing this, why not try putting together a gift basket with an educational twist!! This move will show your person that you are not only listening to them when they talk about their aspirations but are also supportive of their journey towards self-realization.
Your education-themed gift basket can be about any topic or subject. Does your girlfriend enjoy philosophy or history? Maybe you know someone who wants to learn how to code or use a new design platform. Many women have big dreams of starting their own companies in the design, communications, or the arts. Whatever the particular pursuit, your gift basket can provide an initial stepping-stone to getting there by incorporating some foundational learning tools.
Examples of items to include in your basket are as follows:
- Books on the particular subject of interest
- Online course subscriptions that are both popular and can provide a useful starting point
- Notebooks, notecards, calendars, and planners to keep track of learning outcomes and objectives
- Learning accessories like pencils, pens, papers, stationary, thumb drives etc.
It’s all about letting your inner nerd out - you get the idea!
The second category is...
Self-Care Gift Basket Ideas
Women support women: that’s a motto we should all strive to make a reality.
Women empower one another when they promote each other instead of needlessly competing or dragging others down into the mud. All of the best female relationships boil down to a bond based on mutual commitment and trust.
Keeping all of this in mind, if you know of a woman in your life who is going through a difficult time or needs a little pick-me-up, then a self-care-inspired gift basket is the way to go.
Self-Care packages that come in the form of a gift basket are a great way to encourage women to put themselves first. We at WLFPDX probably aren’t the first people to be telling you this, but taking care of the individual mind, body, and spirit is the main ingredient to overall success and, with that, female empowerment.
Are you still struggling to see the bigger picture? Think along the lines of spa and relaxation days, and consider those long awaited periods that can be used to do a mental reset. What woman does not enjoy a Saturday with nowhere in particular to be, and an open window of time to nurture her soul and treat herself to good sounds, sights, tastes, feelings, and scents.
Here’s some ideas for items you can include in this one-of-a-kind, self-care promoting gift basket:
- Locally made edible (and drinkable) gifts like soothing teas, honey, or chocolate
- Nice-smelling candles or incense
- Soaps, lotions, washes, and other body-related care items
- Colorful make-up or nail polish
- Decorations like tiny light fixtures and pictures that can promote a sense of serenity
At WLFPDX, we are now offering a unique set of self-care gift basket items, including self-care cards that pay homage to beauty in all its shades and fabric eye pillows.
Promoting Personal Expression With Your Gift Basket
Every woman is unique and that goes without saying. And she likely has something worthwhile to say, create, and bring to life so why not support her. Therefore, personal expression of any kind is the ultimate form of empowerment, and a thoughtfully curated gift basket can help coax hidden or dormant ideas out of hiding!
Before our modern era, it used to be commonplace that women were not encouraged to become artists, writers, doctors, intellectuals, or any other leader within society. Now, the tables have completely turned, and our modern world is progressing toward a more fair and inclusive future. (Hold tight, though, because we aren’t there just yet!)
Let your gift basket promote personal expression in all its forms. Consider all your female friends and their unique aspirations. Here are some ideas for things to include:
- Arts and crafts items like paint brushes, knitting kits, and coloring utensils
- Hobby-related items that can be used for exercising, gardening, writing, drawing, or taking photography
- Use items that are educational and promote self-care
In the end, the month of March will pass, but women's history and empowerment will always remain important. Let's continue to the work that builds a stronger community together.
