The idea for the IWCBD came from Project Venus member,
Sophie de Ronde, who reached out to the
Pink Boots Society in 2013 to start a "unified brew day." De Ronde wanted the day "to encourage women to brew together." The day was meant to coincide with
International Women's Day and would "raise awareness of women in the brewing industry and raise money for local charities and Pink Boots Society." Another participant said, "I'd like to normalize the idea that women can and do work in the brewhouse along with other departments in a brewery." In 2015, 80 women from eleven countries worked together to brew Unite
red ale. In
South Africa,
Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela, helped organize the first IWCBD event in
Johannesburg. For 2016, the type of beer brewed was a
gose. By 2018, the number of participating female brewers had increased to 126. ==See also==