Frauentag in Berlin: Booking an English-Speaking Speaker for International Women's Day

International Women's Day is a public holiday in Berlin, and in 2027 it falls on Monday, March 8th. If you're looking for an International Women's Day speaker in Berlin, that long weekend gives startup teams a natural moment to come together around inclusion, leadership and how people work across cultures.

Berlin's startup teams draw people from all over the world, and English is often the working language. An English-speaking speaker means everyone in the room gets the same message first-hand, whether they've been in Germany for ten years or ten weeks. Below, we cover when to hold your event, what to look for in a speaker, and eight women worth considering, including two speakers based in Berlin and four more across Germany and Switzerland.

Is International Women's Day a public holiday in Berlin?

Yes. Berlin voted in November 2018 to make International Women's Day a statutory public holiday, and it became the first German state to observe it in 2019. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern followed in 2023. They're still the only two states that do, so a team split between Berlin and colleagues in Munich or Hamburg won't all have the day off.

You'll hear it called Frauentag, Weltfrauentag or Frauenkampftag, the "day of women's struggle", a name that reflects its roots in the labour and suffrage movements of the early 1900s. The city marks it with marches, panels and cultural events, and plenty of companies use the week to run their own programming. For background on how the day has evolved, see our guide to International Women's Day themes, year by year.

When should Berlin teams hold an International Women's Day event in 2027?

With offices closed on Monday, March 8th 2027, many Berlin teams run their International Women's Day session on Friday, March 5th, as a send-off into the long weekend, or from Tuesday, March 9th. A Friday afternoon keynote followed by drinks suits smaller teams. Larger companies often build a full week around it, with a headline talk early on and workshops or panels after.

If you have colleagues in other German states or abroad, a virtual or hybrid session lets everyone join on a normal working day. Speakers who present in English are used to running sessions for distributed audiences across time zones.

March is a busy month for women in leadership speakers worldwide, so book early. Three to four months out gives you the widest choice.

Why book an English-speaking speaker for a Berlin team?

In a team where English is the shared working language, an English-speaking speaker reaches everyone at once. Nobody waits for a translation or misses the nuance in a story, and the Q&A flows because everyone can join in.

It also suits the topics that matter on March 8th. Conversations about pay equity, bias, career progression and parental leave land differently depending on where people grew up and what's normal at home. A speaker who has worked with international teams can hold those conversations in a way that makes sense to a German founder, a Brazilian engineer and an Indian product manager in the same room.

For teams that are mostly German-speaking with a growing international contingent, an English session sends a clear signal about who the company is building for.

What should you look for in an International Women's Day speaker?

Start with the outcome you want. A keynote that opens the week sets the tone and gives people a shared reference point. A workshop on inclusive leadership or negotiation gives managers something they can use on Tuesday morning. A panel or fireside chat with a founder works well when you want the conversation to feel close to your own world.

Then think about relevance to startup life. Speakers who've built or scaled companies, raised funding or led teams through rapid growth connect faster with a room full of people doing exactly that. Look for someone who can speak to the realities of a small, fast-moving team as well as the wider case for gender equity.

Finally, check the practical details. Ask whether they've spoken in Germany before, whether they can travel to Berlin or present virtually, and whether they'll tailor the content to your team after a briefing call. Our roundup of keynote speakers for women's leadership development has more options if leadership is your focus.

English-speaking International Women's Day speakers for Berlin startups

These eight speakers cover networking, resilience, AI, innovation and team culture, and all present in English.

Lirone Glikman

Berlin-based Lirone is a relationship strategist who has run her networking and cross-cultural communication programmes in more than 20 countries for Meta, Microsoft and Techstars. Her session Networking: Building a Network That Works For You and Your Company gives founders and early hires a practical way to grow the relationships a startup runs on.

Learn more and book Lirone Glikman →

Dr Clare Richardson

Berlin-based Clare is an international news anchor and geopolitical analyst whose career spans DW News, Reuters and The Huffington Post. She's a natural host for a Frauentag panel or fireside chat, and brings years of experience in cross-cultural communication to teams drawn from all over the world.

Learn more and book Dr Clare Richardson →

Dani Verdari

Hamburg-based Dani founded Slay House and builds AI-native entertainment and creator-led formats for brands, with work that has passed 7 billion views across platforms. She's a strong pick for product, marketing and creative teams who want a founder's view of where AI and storytelling meet.

Learn more and book Dani Verdari →

Dr Celia Orsini

Frankfurt-based Celia is an archaeologist with a decade of fieldwork and a PhD from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. She applies that lens to identity, leadership and belonging at work, and her session A Different Way to Build Stronger Teams suits international teams still working out how they fit together.

Learn more and book Dr Celia Orsini →

Anja Blacha

Anja is the first German woman to climb K2 and to ski solo to the South Pole. She speaks on courage, risk and goal-setting, and her talk Dealing With Risks and Uncertainty translates directly to teams making big calls with incomplete information.

Learn more and book Anja Blacha →

Susmita Maskey

Susmita has summited Everest three times and is the first Nepali woman to complete the Seven Summits. Drawing on 20 years in extreme environments and more than 200 keynotes, her session Leading When Nothing Is Stable speaks to anyone running a team through rapid change.

Learn more and book Susmita Maskey →

Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternès

Anabel is CEO of Sustain Plus GmbH, President of the Club of Budapest Germany and was named a Forbes "Superwoman". She speaks on innovation, sustainability and leadership, and her session How Authentic Belonging Strengthens Organisations fits an International Women's Day agenda well.

Learn more and book Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternès →

Professor Sandra Wachter

Sandra is a professor of technology and regulation whose award-winning research on explainable AI and algorithmic bias is recognised by Google, IBM and Microsoft. For tech teams, her talk Understanding the Legal and Ethical Challenges of AI connects gender equity to the products they build.

Learn more and book Professor Sandra Wachter →

For more ideas, see our International Women's Day speakers roundup.

» Explore: Every International Women's Day speaker on PepTalk, wherever your team is based

Frequently Asked Questions

Is International Women's Day a public holiday in Berlin?

Yes, International Women's Day has been a public holiday in Berlin since 2019. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the only other German state to observe it, and has done so since 2023.

When is International Women's Day 2027?

International Women's Day 2027 falls on Monday, March 8th, which gives Berlin a long weekend. Many Berlin teams hold their events on Friday, March 5th or later in the week from Tuesday, March 9th.

Can an International Women's Day speaker present virtually to a Berlin team?

Yes, many International Women's Day speakers present virtually, which suits Berlin teams with colleagues in other German states or abroad who are working on March 8th. Hybrid sessions with the speaker on stage in Berlin and a live stream for remote staff also work well.

How far ahead should you book an International Women's Day speaker?

Book an International Women's Day speaker three to four months ahead if you can. Demand peaks around March 8th each year, so the most in-demand names fill their diaries early.

💡 Planning a Frauentag event for your Berlin team? Let us know, and we'll find the perfect PepTalk expert for your organisation. Send us a message via the chat and we'll take it from there. Remember, it's always a good time to get a PepTalk!