INTERNATIONAL WOMEN´S DAY

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN´S DAY

International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated around the world on March 8 every year. It began as a campaign for better working conditions by women in New York at the turn of the 20th century. The first official IWD was on February 28, 1909. No one knows for sure why the date changed to March 8, but this is the date when thousands of women started annual marches in New York’s streets. The first international women’s conference took place in 1910, in Denmark. Since then, IWD has spread around the world. Today it is an important day to highlight the economic, political and social contributions women have made to our world. Women can now be happier that things are moving in the right direction.

IWD is an official holiday in many countries, including Algeria, China, Cuba, Italy, Poland, Vietnam, and Zambia. All across the world, men give flowers and other gifts to the women in their lives - mothers, wives, girlfriends, sisters, teachers, etc. In Portugal and Romania, women celebrate by having "women-only" dinners. IWD is a big event in India, where people hold celebrations throughout the day. Indian men want to show how important women are to their society. All around the world women are becoming more powerful in business, entertainment, politics and other areas. There are over a dozen nations today with women leaders. However, IWD is still necessary to highlight the inequality millions of women still face.

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	a campaign for better working	a.	to our world
2	at the turn of the	b.	the date changed
3.	No one knows for sure why	c.	in the right direction
4.	IWD has spread around	d.	20th century
5.	contributions women have made	e.	the world
6.	things are moving	f.	conditions by women

Paragraph 2

1.	IWD is an official holiday	a.	more powerful
2	men give flowers and other gifts	b.	of women still face
3.	women celebrate by having	c.	in many countries
4.	people hold celebrations throughout	d.	"women-only" dinners
5.	women are becoming	e.	to the women in their lives
6.	highlight the inequality millions	f.	the day

LISTENING GAP FILL

International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated ________________ on March 8 every year. It began as a campaign for better working conditions by women in New York ________________ 20th century. The first official IWD was on February 28, 1909. No one knows ________________ date changed to March 8, but this is the date when thousands of women started ___________________ New York’s streets. The first international women’s conference took place in 1910, in Denmark. Since then, IWD has spread ________________. Today it is an important day to highlight the economic, political and social contributions women have made to our world. Women can now be happier that things are moving in __________________.

IWD is __________________ many countries, including Algeria, China, Cuba, Italy, Poland, Vietnam, and Zambia. All across the world, men give flowers and other gifts to the women ________________ - mothers, wives, girlfriends, sisters, teachers, etc. In Portugal and Romania, women ________________ "women-only" dinners. IWD is a big event in India, where people hold celebrations throughout the day. Indian men want to show how important women ________________. All around the world women are becoming more powerful inbusiness, entertainment, politics ________________. There are over a dozen nations today with women leaders. However, IWD is still necessary to highlight the inequality millions of ________________.

WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

International Women's Day (IWD) is __________ around the world on March 8 every year. It began as a __________ for better working conditions by women in New York at the __________ of the 20th century. The first official IWD was on February 28, 1909. No one knows for __________ why the date changed to March 8, but this is the date when thousands of women started __________ marches in New York’s streets. The first international women’s conference took place in 1910, in Denmark. Since then, IWD has spread around the world. Today it is an important day to __________ the economic, political and __________ contributions women have made to our world. Women can now be happier that things are moving in the right __________.		highlight turn sure social celebrated direction annual campaign
IWD is an __________ holiday in many countries, including Algeria, China, Cuba, Italy, Poland, Vietnam, and Zambia. All __________ the world, men give flowers and other gifts to the women in their lives - mothers, wives, girlfriends, sisters, teachers, etc. In Portugal and Romania, women __________ by having "women-only" dinners. IWD is a big __________ in India, where people hold celebrations throughout the day. Indian men want to show how important women are to their __________. All around the world women are becoming more __________ in business, entertainment, politics and other areas. There are over a __________ nations today with women leaders. However, IWD is still necessary to __________ the inequality millions of women still face. MULTIPLE CHOICE International Women's Day (IWD) is (1) ____ around the world on March 8 every year. It began as a campaign for better working conditions by women in New York at the (2) ____ of the 20th century. The first official IWD was on February 28, 1909. No one knows for (3) ____ why the date changed to March 8, but this is the date when thousands of women started annual     (4) ____ in New York’s streets. The first international women’s conference took place in 1910, in Denmark. Since then, IWD has spread around the world. Today it is an important day to (5) ____ the economic, political and social contributions women have made to our world. Women can now be happier that things are (6) ____ in the right direction. IWD is an (7) ____ holiday in many countries, including Algeria, China, Cuba, Italy, Poland, Vietnam, and Zambia. All across the world, men give flowers and other gifts to the women in their (8) ____ - mothers, wives, girlfriends, sisters, teachers, etc. In Portugal and Romania, women celebrate by having "women-(9) ____ " dinners. IWD is a big event in India, where people hold celebrations throughout the day. Indian men want to show how important women are to their (10) ____. All around the world women are becoming more powerful in business, entertainment, politics and other areas. There are over a dozen (11) ____ today with women leaders. However, IWD is still necessary to highlight the inequality millions of women still (12) ____. Put the correct words from this table into the article. 1. (a) celebrate (b) celebrated (c) celebration (d) celebrates 2. (a) turn (b) turns (c) turned (d) turn off 3. (a) surely (b) surer (c) surest (d) sure 4. (a) marched (b) marchers (c) marches (d) marching 5. (a) highlights (b) highlight (c) highlighter (d) highlighting 6. (a) movement (b) moved (c) moving (d) mover 7. (a) officially (b) officialdom (c) officials (d) official 8. (a) living (b) livelihood (c) lives (d) lifestyle 9. (a) just (b) lonely (c) alone (d) only 10. (a) social (b) sociology (c) socially (d) society 11. (a) nation (b) nations (c) nationality (d) nationhood 12. (a) face (b) head (c) nose (d) cheek         DISCUSSION (Write your own questions) STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B) 1. ________________________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________________ 4. ________________________________________________________ 5. ________________________________________________________ 6. ________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A) 1. ________________________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________________ 4. ________________________________________________________ 5. ________________________________________________________ 6. ________________________________________________________ THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY SURVEY Write five questions about International Women’s Day in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers. STUDENT 1 _____________ STUDENT 2 _____________ STUDENT 3 _____________ Q.1. Q.2. Q.3. Q.4. Q.5. Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out.  Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings. WRITING Write about International Women’s Day for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________		society  celebrate highlight event official powerful dozen across