International Women's Day

March 8 is International Women's Day, but the global campaigns for equal rights for women continue all year round. Read more about #IWD in this article.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the article and do the exercise.

Preparation

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International Women's Day on 8 March is a day to celebrate the social, economic and political achievements of women, reflect on progress and demand gender equality. For over a hundred years, International Women's Day has put the spotlight onto issues affecting women all over the world. Today, International Women's Day belongs to everyone who believes that women's rights are human rights.

Why do we need an International Women's Day?

Across the world, less than 15 per cent of the world's countries have a female leader. Only 24 per cent of senior managers are women and 25 per cent of companies have no female senior managers at all. Women do the lowest-paid jobs and earn less money for the same work. This difference in pay is called the gender pay gap, and for young women in many places, including Britain and America, the gap is getting worse. Women are also more likely to do most of the housework and childcare. All of these problems affect women of colour even more than they do white women.

When it comes to healthcare and safety, women also face significant inequalities. An estimated 830 women a day die in childbirth. There are some shocking statistics for female murder too. Last year the UN found that 137 women a day were killed by their partner or former partner. Worldwide, over 50 per cent of female murders are committed by the victim's partner or family. When they have access to health education and care, women are also more likely to be ignored by doctors when they say they are in pain, and serious health problems are sometimes ignored for years.

The history of Women's Day

In 1908, 15,000 women in New York went on strike because of low pay and terrible conditions in the factories where they worked. The following year, the Socialist Party of America organised a National Women's Day, and one year after that, there was a conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, about equality and women's right to vote. In Europe, the idea grew and became International Women's Day (IWD) for the first time in 1911 and the United Nations declared 8 March International Women's Day in 1975.

What happens on 8 March?

In some countries, children and men give presents, flowers or cards to their mothers, wives, sisters or other women they know. But at the heart of International Women's Day lies women's rights. Across the world, there are protests and events to demand equality. Many women wear purple, a colour worn by women who campaigned for women's right to vote. Recently, marches and protests have gained force thanks to the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements against sexual harassment. There is still a lot of work to be done for gender equality. But women's movements all over the world are ready to do that work and are gaining momentum.

What are you going to do to celebrate or demand change on 8 March?

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Task 1

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Discussion

How have things changed for women in your country? What still needs to change?

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B2 English level (upper intermediate)

How have things changed for women in your country? What still needs to change?
in my country, there is no difference between men and women. women also do everything and they also give votes and do business. women get whatever they want. there is no rule here every woman work and do our best

The role of women in my country has started to change positively.We see these changes in society,politics etc.Nowadays there are more women participating in politics than a few decades ago when the number of women participating was very small.A negative side is the old mentality about the role of women which has not completely disappeared as there aree still people who believe that men are more important and powerful than women.

In my country,there are many things which have been changed for women today.As our leader is a women, we try to become like her in each particular field.Women become free and successful in various departments than last century.

In my country we have same prbolem in the all world. But ıf we want to change the ıdea, It will start with all women educating their girls in the best way and raising strong individuals who stand on their own feet.

In my country our government give women to take participant in election and they give us rights to vote. In many industrial sectors there are many opportunity for women be a leader. Some of women in my country had a rights to voice out the troubles that they passed in their live. Even women given a opportunity to be leader but still got inequality among men and women. Besides, domestic violence still increasing in our country and sexual harassments also be a ridiculous problem here. We still need to reducing the sexual harassments among women especially among young girls.

There are different sceneries here in my country for example in the big cities women receive a different treatment compared with the places farther away, en the capitals they can ask or demand a better wage or take the desition to not do household chores among other stuff, the opposite happens for example in the countryside. I think that it is fair that every woman had the same rights than men.

Things changed for women for the better in my country, especially in the last fifty years. But I think women ought to learn to be indipendent in their mind, that is I see many women who seem modern and innovative, whereas they depend on their husbands or partners regarding the most important issues.

In my country, there is inequality for women in the whole cases such as Right to enter the stadium, bicycling and motorcycling in free space, Obligatory veil, worst- jobs with low salary, hard work conditions at many places. I think that our women should have self- confident and try to prove her-selves. of course in mam s day, the whole of family appreciate their mams, but they should perceive The mental and psychological needs of their mother and respect them. actually, I agree with parisaach opinion. and one question: Why aren't my texts published recently? thanks.

Hello popo1011

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a very informative article on women's day.you told us about the history of women's day and other important factors

In my country many people think men are more powerful and important than women though recently people change their point of view but still there are many people who think men are better at anything, so the worst man here thinks he is more important than any woman. Here laws are against women, they rule based on thousand years ago when the prophet lived. They say a 9 years old girl is grown up and can marry and should do all the relegious responsibilities that a grown up woman have, while boys are grown up in 15. They don't let women go to staduim to watch sport. Women inherit half of men when their parents passed away. Weman should wear hijab every where. They should do whatever they husband say and when they want to leave the country their husband or father should let them go if the husband don't let her wife can't leave the country. Men can have 4 wives at a time. Specially in cities situation is better people usually don't make their children marry in young age, There are many women who work outside and their husbands help them to raise children. In many families people care a lot about their children and trying to provid best condition for them no matter they are girl or boy. I think women right never be as men right in Asia we still should work a lot.

Here in Saudi Arabia, the men and women the same equalities.

For me the Womans day is very important because thanks to women that defended their believes in the past, today I can study, vote, have patrimonial rights, job in whatever I want, practice a lote of sports. Today we speak about rights .

Tomorrow it the Womem's day . It's importan because we are living in 2019 and it's incomprehensible that still have inequity between women and men in differents aspects such as; healthcare, work, safety and others more. "At the heart of the International Women's Day lies women's rights". I completely agree with the before. We are all humans and derserve the same rights. Happy Day to women all over the world.

International Women's Day is important for modern society and company.In Japan there are a lot of bad hobby inside organization.but I would say society is getting better for woman.our society forward to the equality day by day.in fact some company run by woman president. Traditional company don't pay attention for equality. another problem is that in college. high education colleges are not equal percent,all of class dominated men.Woman is few percent.especially science field is less then any other field.all of women don't study nowadays .It cause poor performance when entire organization .

hello we must give the same rights for womans then man .the womans do all what man say to do .and as woman i can take a decision like man .no difference .and as long as we know .the equality must approuved a round the word .

For me it's necessary that women have the same rights than men IT's absolutely anormal and intolerable that there is a gender pay gap; the women must be paid the same money for the same job than the men The sexual harassment is still present in many enterprise and as a woman we have to fight to exist

I think it is an interesting day, just because women rights are concerning everyone men, children after the women themselves. I recognize really the value of the women even thought they are sometimes ignored as if they are not able. It's so motivational to cerebrate IWD not for women but for the humanity men, children (boys and girls), and women altogether.