Happy International Women’s Day, ladies! The annual celebration is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women who’ve come before us and those who’re set to transform the future. While we at Secret Dubai staunchly believe that women must be celebrated every single day of the year, March 8 is a great opportunity to add some fun to feminism and treat yourself or the ladies in your life. Championing gender equality and leaning into breakthrough glass ceilings is hard work, after all. Here are 15 phenomenal things to do to celebrate girl power.
1-5. Devour discounted drinks and dishes
Cafe Society has a 50% discount lined up for women who visit the eatery in Dubai Marina on March 8. The discount applies to items across the menu from breakfast bites to lunch and dinner mains as well as dessert. Call 04 318 3755
Trader Vic’s at Souk Madinat has a cheeky deal for the chicas on March 8. Gals get 4 drinks from a selected menu for AED 99 and 30% off on food. On the day, if you manage to infuse some tropical trends and accessories into your outfit to match the venue’s tiki theme, you’ll enter a draw where you can win a feast for four. Female guests attending the event will be thanked with a rose and a written poem celebrating womanhood. From 5pm; call 04 368 6559
JVC’s Latino hotspot Sante Ria is sweetening their Azucar Friday Brunch deal with a special 20% discount for ladies on March 8. The vibrant South American restaurant whips up some of the best Brazilian street food, Peruvian delicacies and exotic cocktails made from Guatemalan Zacapa that’ll take your tastebuds on a Latin American tour. Visit www.santeriadubai.ae for bookings.
Local cafe chain Mondoux is going the extra mile for International Women’s Day with free desserts for all the women dining at their branches at Creek Harbour, JBR and Dubai Mall. Find contact details here
Vegan cafe Planet Terra is extending the kindness it shows Mother Nature with its eco-friendly menu to all women on March 8 with a 10% discount. It’s the perfect ploy to dig into some healthy animal by-product-free ingredients sourced ethically.
6-7. Dig into free desserts at these restaurants
Dhaba Lane, the Indian restaurant is treating every woman who visits one of their branches to some sweet lovin’ with a slice of creamy Gulab (rose) Tres Leches cake for AED 8 on March 8. From 12pm onwards. Visit the website
Make the most of the magical Bluewaters views of Ain Dubai at The Pods. The unique bubble-shaped dining pods have dreamed up the ultimate girl dinner package for the special woman in your life. Guests will be handed two free complimentary beverages and two desserts each when they dine at the venue on March 8. You can choose delicious mains from their Pan Asian à la carte menu. From 1pm-2am; call 052 9050418
8. Spill some tea and paint at this afternoon tea art workshop
Jones The Grocer at Al Manara is hosting a Tea and Paint event for the ladies in collaboration with FoscArt on March 8, from 4pm-6pm. Get creative while chit-chatting and sipping on your favourite teas and coffees and nibbling on dainty bites as a skilled artist guides you through the painting session. AED 185 per lady including painting materials. Call 04 346 6886
9. Enjoy a free workout and smoothie at Boxica
Girl power can be unleashed in full force with Boxica’s free workout classes for women from March 8-10 to celebrate International Women’s Day and UK Mother’s Day. You can choose between boxing classes, full body workouts, spin classes as well as strength and hit classes. Ladies are encouraged to come dressed in pink and each female participant will be treated to healthy smoothies from the Boxica cafe afterwards. Call 055 483 8361 for the class schedule.
10. Turn up the music at OSH Del Mar
Central Asian restaurant Osh Del Mar in Address Beach Resort is throwing a musical evening on March 8 to celebrate womanhood. There’ll be live performances by DJ M.E.G., Pasha Whyt, a lineup of talented artists and great Uzbeki food and glittering views of Dubai Marina. Ladies will be served complimentary cocktails and dessert on arrival. Call 050 914 4215.
11-12. Limber up at these yoga classes
Summersalt is upping the zen with a special Women’s Day yoga session for ladies on March 8. Starting at 8:30 am, yoga instructor Dina will take you through relaxing sequences for an hour on the beach with gorgeous Burj Al Arab views in the background. Participants will go home with LC x Summersalt goody bags of Talise Spa’s skincare essentials. From 12:30pm onwards, the beach club will switch into party mode with beach and pool access and a live DJ until sunset. Packages start from AED 700; call 4 366 7680.
Banyan Tree Dubai and COAN Wellness have teamed up for a special meditation and yoga session on March 9 at the resort’s Wellness Deck. Starting 8.30am, the rejuvenating session includes a Morning Meditation hosted by Adrienne Everett, followed by a vinyasa yoga session, a sound healing session, scrumptious breakfast and a Q&A on women’s health. AED 850 per person. Call 04 556 6401 or email spa-dubai@banyantree.com.
13. Glam up with salon discounts that match your age
Age is more than a number at the beauty salon That Hair Tho in JLT. They’re championing that woman embrace their age and shout it from the rooftops to get a discount that equals their age. So the older you are, the higher your discounts. The deal is applicable across services and is only available on March 7 and requires you to show your ID. Call 04 589 6679 or WhatsApp 055 954 3125.
14. Drink, dance and donate to charity at The Stables
This Sheikh Zayed Road establishment believes that doing good and having a good time go hand in hand. On March 8 ladies get to let their hard down at the pub with four drinks and one appetiser each for AED 99 thanks to their special Women’s Day deal. Now to the good, or rather, the best part – 10% of all proceeds will be donated to a charity supporting International Women’s Day. Live music kickstart at 5:30pm including a live band and a hip hop party that’ll run until 3am. Call 054 417 7028 or visit the webiste.
15. Pamper yourself with a luxe spa treatment
ME Dubai has put together a 90-minute spa package for just AED 399 per person in celebration of International Women’s Day. You can choose between a facial and deep tissue massage, an aroma therapy massage and salt scrub massage or a marine body wrap combined with foot reflexology. The spa packages are available at this price until March 31. Call 04 525 2500 or email spa.me.dubai@melia.com.