Walk into any corporate office or city square in March and you’re going to see it. Purple. It’s everywhere. It’s on the digital banners, the lapel pins, and those slightly awkward LinkedIn profile picture frames. But if you ask the average person why purple is the International Women's Month color, they’ll probably shrug and say it looks nice or feels "regal."
That’s a bit of a missed opportunity, honestly.
The colors we associate with International Women’s Day (IWD) and the broader Women’s History Month aren't just a branding choice made by a marketing agency in the 90s. They have roots that go back over a century, specifically to the British suffragettes. When you see that specific shade of violet, you're actually looking at a political statement that was once considered radical enough to get women arrested.
The Triad of Justice: Purple, Green, and White
It all started in 1908. The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the UK, led by the legendary Emmeline Pankhurst, needed a visual identity. They weren't just asking for the vote; they were demanding it with "deeds, not words." To make their presence felt in massive London crowds, they adopted a trio of colors: purple, green, and white.
Why these three? It wasn't random.
Purple represented justice and dignity. It was the color of loyalty to the cause. Green was for hope, symbolizing the growth of a new era. White represented purity, which, while it sounds a bit dated to us now, was a strategic move back then to counter the "angry, unrefined" stereotype the media tried to pin on suffragettes.
Some people like to use an acronym to remember it: Green, White, and Violet stood for Give Women the Vote. Whether that was intentional or a happy coincidence is still debated by historians, but it stuck.
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Fast forward to today. The International Women’s Day organization—the global hub for the March 8th movement—officially recognizes purple as the primary color. It’s a bridge between the past and the present. While green and white still play a role, purple has become the universal shorthand for gender equality.
Why Does Purple Dominate Now?
You might notice that green and white have faded into the background a bit. These days, when a skyscraper lights up for March, it’s usually solid purple.
There’s a practical reason for this. In the 1960s and 70s, during the second wave of feminism, purple saw a massive resurgence. It was a tribute to the suffragettes, but it also took on a new life. Activists found it to be a powerful, non-conforming color. It’s a mix of blue (traditionally masculine) and red (traditionally feminine), creating something that exists beyond that binary. It felt modern. It felt like progress.
Kinda cool, right?
But there is some nuance here. Not every country uses the same palette. In some parts of the world, International Women's Day is celebrated with yellow mimosas. In Italy, for example, the festa della donna is synonymous with the bright yellow mimosa flower. It was chosen by activists Teresa Mattei, Rita Montagnana, and Teresa Noce in 1946 because it was affordable and bloomed right around early March.
So, while purple is the "official" International Women's Month color in a global, corporate, and digital sense, the "color" of the movement is actually a bit of a mosaic.
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The Commercialization Trap
We have to talk about the "pink-washing" of March. Or maybe "purple-washing" is more accurate.
Every year, brands scramble to slap a purple filter on their logos. It’s a bit like the corporate version of "thoughts and prayers." It’s easy to wear a purple shirt on March 8th; it’s a lot harder to close the gender pay gap or provide meaningful maternity leave.
Critics often point out that the focus on a specific color can sometimes trivialize the heavy lifting. When the color becomes the story, the struggle behind it gets buried. We saw this in the early 20th century, too. The WSPU actually sold merchandise—purple, green, and white tea sets, ribbons, and even bicycles. They were geniuses at branding, but they used that branding to fund a revolution, not just to look "inclusive" in an annual report.
How to Actually Use the Color This Year
If you’re planning an event or just want to show support, don't just pick a random purple from a dropdown menu.
The most "official" shade used by the IWD organization is a vibrant, deep violet. It’s meant to be bold. If you’re a designer, you’re usually looking at something in the Hex #5d3fd3 or #702963 range. But honestly? The exact shade matters less than the intent behind it.
Think about how you’re pairing it.
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- Purple and White: Focuses on the historical roots and the idea of "dignity."
- Purple and Green: Leans into the "hope and growth" aspect—great for mentorship programs or career development themes.
- Purple and Yellow: A nod to the international variety of the celebration, mixing the suffragette history with the Italian mimosa tradition.
What People Get Wrong About Women’s History Month
One big misconception is that March is just "Mother's Day 2.0." It’s not.
While honoring the women in our lives is great, the International Women's Month color represents a movement for systemic change. It’s about voting rights, labor laws, reproductive health, and equal pay. When people treat it as a day to just give out flowers or "celebrate femininity," they’re missing the point of why those suffragettes were wearing purple ribbons while being hauled off to jail.
Another thing: people often think International Women's Day is a Hallmark holiday. Actually, it has socialist and labor roots. The first National Women's Day was observed in the U.S. in 1909, organized by the Socialist Party of America to honor the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York. The color wasn't the point then—the strike was. The colors came later to give that fire a visual identity.
Moving Beyond the Palette
So, what do we do with this?
Knowing the history of the International Women's Month color is a good first step, but it shouldn't be the last. Use the color as a conversation starter, not a finish line. When someone asks why you’re wearing purple, tell them about the 1908 WSPU. Tell them about the "hope" in the green and the "justice" in the purple.
Actionable Steps for March
- Audit the "Purple-Washing": If you work in a company that’s going all-out on purple decor, look at the data. Does the company have a transparent pay structure? Are women in leadership roles? Use the visibility of the month to ask for real metrics.
- Support Local Makers: If you're buying purple gear, skip the massive fast-fashion sites. Look for women-owned businesses or cooperatives. Make sure the money spent on the "celebration" actually goes back into the hands of women.
- Use the Colors Intentionally: If you're creating content, use the purple/green/white palette. It shows a deeper level of knowledge than just using pink. It signals that you understand the history of the struggle.
- Educate Beyond the Day: International Women's Day is March 8th, but the colors are relevant all year. Don't pack away the "justice and dignity" on March 9th.
- Diversify Your Sources: Follow historians like those at the National Women's History Museum (NWHM) or international groups like UN Women. They offer the context that a simple color-coded infographic usually skips.
The reality is that a color is just a wavelength of light until we give it meaning. Purple is the International Women's Month color because thousands of women decided it was worth fighting for. Wearing it is a nod to that legacy. Just make sure the "deeds" match the "words."