This lesson is dedicated to all the amazing, strong women in my life 🌸
Post updated March 2022
Lesson by Kerin.
March 8th is International Women’s Day (IWD) and every year we celebrate powerful women around the world, but we still have so much to do in terms of progress.
Why do we need an International Women’s Day?
In 1975 the UN made International Women’s Day official. Over 100 years on from the original Women’s Day, there’s still so much that needs to be changed and these are changes that we need now more than ever. For example,
- Did you know that 1 in 3 women will experience violence?
- Did you know that across the world, less than 15 per cent of the world’s countries have a female leader?
- Did you know that 181 million girls and young women are not in education, employment or training?
Find out 11 more reasons why this day is so important
Advanced English vocabulary for International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world on March 8 every year … but how much do you know about it?|
- How did it start?
- Which city did it start in?
- When did it become international?
- What is the main purpose of it?
Find out all this and more AND put your English to the test with our International Women’s Day advanced vocabulary challenge!
ps. quizzes work best on Chrome
Advanced vocabulary challenge 1
Read the introduction and drag the words into the gaps.
Advanced vocabulary challenge 2
Match the phrases from paragraph 2 to make complete sentences
Advanced vocabulary challenge 3
Finally, Let’s test that memory of yours! Fill in the missing words from the first few lines of the introduction
This lesson has been adapted from eslholidaylessons.com. Visit this page for more exercises.
Activate!
Activate!
One of the best ways to learn vocabulary is to see English vocabulary in use: in a context as opposed to just an advanced English vocabulary list.
This is passive learning.
The next step is to turn that passive knowledge into active practice.
1. Select three or four words from this list
- celebrated
- campaign
- working conditions
- spread
- highlight
- the turn of (watch out! this is not the phrasal verb turn off!)
- took place
- annual
2. Then in the comments below, show me how you would use these words in your own sentence. I’ll give you feedback.
If you enjoyed this lesson, please share
International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries all around the world. This celebration took place for the first time at the turn of the 20º Century. Its main purpose was to claim the poor working conditions of the female workers. This annual appointment has been spreading all around the world. Nowadays many campaigns focus their attention on the iniquity of the female gender condition in our society.
Heads-up: Grammarly helped me a little bit!
Ciao Kerin!!!
Elisabetta, what would we do without Grammarly and Google translate?!!
This is great, well done! I would only suggest that you change the verb ‘claim’ to something like ‘expose’ or ‘protest’, e.g: Its main purpose was to protest the poor working conditions of the female workers.
(Claim means to formally request or demand something)
Un abbraccio!
International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world. It started as a campaign to bring awareness to the poor working conditions for women. The first official Women’s Day took place in Denmark. The holiday has now become an annual event and has spread to many countries in the world. Now with the turn of the millennium I wonder how much good has been done. Many of the Women’s Day marches are held to highlight the issues that underprivileged women face on a daily basis. As a daughter, wife and mother I can appreciate the need to support my sisters and encourage each other as we daily improve our families situations so that we can help those less fortunate than ourselves.
Hi Martha, this is super. Well done!
* Governments should do more to improve the working conditions of blue collar workers.
* Nobody would have imagined the Covid-19 would spread around the globe at such speed.
* There are campaingns all over the world to protest agains this stupid war.
*Mother´s day is celebrated in most countries but on different dates.
* I´d like to highlight the importance of education. If we are to make this world a better place, we
MUST bring up children who are more caring, more tolerant, non-judgemental and respecful of
your neighbourgh.
* Pupils take an annula final test so as to promoto to the next level.
Strong examples using this vocab Carla. I would suggest this tweak to the final sentence:
Pupils take an annual final test so as to be promoted to the next level. Or: Pupils take an annual final test so as to graduate to the next level
With a bit delay, here my two cents on IWD.
At the turn of 20th century due to the Industrial Revolution women became more active in the areas which were predominantly occupied by men. Amid drastic changes, many women raised their voices for the improvements of working conditions, some of them dedicated their time and lives for advocating equal political, social and economical rights for women. They organized first ever campaigns for women`s rights which later were spread across the world to promote gender equality and gender justice. To highlight the importance of women`s rights, 8 of March was officially recognized as an International Women Day. It should be noted, however, that in many countries, including my own, this day is perceived as another version of Mother or Beauty day, another opportunity to praise women as a symbol of beauty and fertility. While some women appreciate flowers and gifts thrown at their feet at this special day, the others never forget the very gist of this day: to stay vigilant for gender justice, be vocal against gender violence and keep fighting for the equality. The recent deplorable developments in many counties where women were deprived from basic rights for education and free movement yet another proof for staying firm and united in advocating women`s rights across the world. And I hasten to add that it is not only women who should be in the frontline of this fight but it is the area where men`s engagement is of paramount importance. Unfortunately , the culture of impunity and gender injustice is baked into the core of our society and only together, with joint efforts there is hope to uproot it from our hearts, minds and lands.
This makes an interesting read Susanna and I’m pleased to see you are recycling some of the vocab from English Club too! I’ve sent you a message with some feedback on your writing. you should get an invite to a Google doc. Let me know if you don’t get it!
Thanks Kevin for your feedback, useful as always
Kerin , sorry for misspelling- iPad auto-correction:)
No worries Susanna! Glad the feedback was useful