Women's Day gifts that are not cliched: what to give instead of roses, pink mugs and make-up kitsWomen's Day gifts that are not cliched: what to give instead of roses, pink mugs and make-up kits

Swap the stereotype for something she would choose

The Women's Day gifts women at work quietly roll their eyes at are easy to list: a single rose, a pink mug, chocolates, a make-up or kitchen kit, a "queen" slogan. They are not bad things; they are just gifts that assume what a woman likes because she is a woman. The fix is simple. Give something an adult of any taste would buy for herself, and pair it with recognition that is about her work.

A shortlist that avoids the cliches:

1. Time or growth: an extra half-day off, a course or conference budget, a session with a senior woman leader. The least cliched gift is one that changes her week.
2. A book by a woman author from a bookstore, chosen across genres so people can swap. Works for readers; misses for others.
3. A good plant from a plant gifting company: no colour, no gender, lives on the desk.
4. A grown-up home piece in calm colours, from Raajkosh, Jalandhar: Marble Seashell Candles, Rs 999 for two marbled conch vessels in blue-and-white and terracotta-and-white; the Spiral Pillar Candles set of five, Rs 799, twisted pillars in ivory, pink, blue, yellow and navy; or Vanilla Reverie, Rs 549, a warm vanilla candle in an amber jar, the only scented one we make.
5. A cafe or experience voucher from a voucher platform, for teams where tastes vary too widely to pick one object.

A quick test for any Women's Day gift

Ask these four questions before you order:

• Would you give it to a man on his birthday? If the answer is "no, it's too girly", rethink. A marbled shell or a navy spiral passes; a pink slogan mug does not.
• Does it assume her role at home? Kitchen sets, cleaning gadgets and "me time" kits that imply she has none all fail.
• Is the card about her work? "Thank you for leading the March close" beats "Happy Women's Day to our beautiful ladies".
• Is it the same for everyone? One piece for all women in the company, from trainee to partner, avoids ranking people by gift.

If you want flowers, choose ones that last. Our Floral Candle Duo, Rs 649, is a pair of sculpted wax peonies; it is pink, so offer it only if your team likes that.

Cliched gifts and better swaps

Our main Women's Day gifts for employees page covers picks by budget for a whole company.

Ordering for your team

The terms on raajkosh.com/corporate, set out in full on our corporate gifting terms page:

• From 10 gifts, no minimum order value.
• Your logo on the gift tag, the note card or a wax seal; the words inside are yours.
• GST invoice with your company's billing name, address and GSTIN.
• One office or every home, anywhere in India, so field and remote women are not missed.
• Prepaid, as set out in the quote. No cash on delivery. The quote confirms pieces, branding, timeline and final price per gift. 8 March is a fixed date, so ask early.

Every piece is hand-poured in pure soy wax in Jalandhar. We are a new maker, with no reviews to show yet.

When a candle is the cliche for your team

• Your team has asked for policy, not presents: flexible hours, a creche tie-up, a mentoring programme. Do that first; skip the gift or keep it tiny.
• Several people on the team are sensitive to fragrance. Choose an unscented piece, such as the Marble Seashells, or a plant.
• Your office does not allow open flames. Our pieces are take-home gifts, and they look finished unlit as decor.

On the card: if lit at home, burn on a heat-proof surface, never leave it unattended, keep each burn to 3 to 4 hours.