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GENERAL ENGLISH · GENERAL ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

INTERNATIONAL
WOMEN’S DAY

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1 Warm up
In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. When is International Women’s Day celebrated?

2. When did International Women’s Day start?

3. Have you ever celebrated International Women’s Day? What did you do?

4. What do you think is the reason for International Women’s Day?

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2 Focus on vocabulary

Part A: Match the vocabulary to the definitions.

1. racism (n) a. develop or improve something over a certain amount of time

2. immigrant (n) b. a feeling against or in favour of a particular group of people

without it being fair or based on evidence
3. progress (v) c. the knowledge of something being there and it being
important
4. access (n) d. a person who is living in a different country from the one
they were born in
5. awareness (n) e. the ability to do or see something

6. bias (n) f. a phrase used by a group of people to communicate a

message or an idea
7. slogan (n) g. have a large amount of respect for someone

8. honour (v) h. the negative treatment of people based on their race

Part B: Now put the words from Part A in the correct gaps in the following sentences. You may have
to change the form of the word.

1. London has always attracted from all over the world.

2. The Internet gives people to huge amounts of information. It would be difficult

to imagine life without it now.

3. The race is happening in the park to raise the of people living without enough
food in many countries worldwide.

4. My children love reading and they have recently to books without pictures.

5. Most newspapers have a lot of against one political party or another.

6. We are here today to all the teachers who have worked so hard this year to help
us.

7. The "I’m lovin’ it" used by McDonald’s is very well-known even though it is
grammatically incorrect.

8. Unfortunately, there’s still a lot of in international football with players often called
names because of the colour of their skin.

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Now in pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Is there evidence of racism in your country? Who is it usually aimed at?

2. What have you done in the past that helped your English progress?
3. Where do the largest groups of immigrants come from in your country?
4. How would your life be different if you didn’t have access to Wi-Fi?
5. Do you think everyone has equal possibilities to enter university? Or is there a bias against some
groups of people? Explain your answer.
6. Which slogans in advertising do you remember the most? Why?
7. Have you ever tried to increase awareness of a particular problem? What did you do?
8. Is there anyone who you honour each year for special reasons? Who and why?

3 Listening for details

Listen to the interview and tick the questions which are asked.

1. What about health and education?

2. When did it start?

3. What problems did they have?

4. How are these issues connected to women?

5. What happened after that?

6. How is that work continuing today?

7. What can men do to help?

8. Is this just about women?

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4 Listening comprehension

Listen again and decide if the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

1. Teresa Malkiel was born in the United States.

2. Teresa Malkiel disagreed with the way people of different colours were treated in the United
States.

3. International Women’s Day isn’t only concerned with Women’s Rights.

4. In the United States, men are usually able to take a lot of time off work if they have a child.

5. Mothers who raise their children alone often have a very difficult time in countries around the
world because of negative views about them.

6. Women around the world have the same rights to education as men.

7. The traditional colour for International Women’s Day is purple.

5 Scanning for details

Quickly read the article on page six and find what the following numbers mean.

a. 20:

b. 2:

c. 0:

d. 365:

e. 288:

f. 51:

g. 28:

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6 Scanning for vocabulary

Quickly read the article on page six and find vocabulary which means the same as the following.

1. not having as many of a certain group doing something or speaking for that
group in positions of power (paragraph A)
2. not organised equally (paragraph A)

3. an act that adds to the benefits of a group of people (paragraph B)

4. a situation when there are limits on women getting to higher-paying jobs, but
they are not obvious or talked about (paragraph C)
5. a situation when there are different rules for different groups of people
(paragraph C)
6. the ability to face a difficult or dangerous situation without showing that you
are scared (paragraph D)
7. the quality of being able to act positively in a dangerous or difficult situation
(paragraph D)
8. join in a public march to express strong feelings about a problem (paragraph
E)

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International Women’s Day

Views from around the world

As this week is International Women’s Day, we spoke to different women around the world about what the day
means to them and how they celebrate. This is what they had to say:

Nadia - UK

A. I think that women have traditionally been under-represented and it’s important to keep addressing the lack of
balance in our society. So much has changed for women in the last 20 years or so. But it really annoys me when
it’s used to demand special treatment or when it’s used by companies to boost their sales. A supermarket near
me had a big display of chocolates and wine as a celebration. Really? Stop using the issue of women’s rights to
market your products. It’s insulting!

Tracy - Singapore

B. In real terms, I don’t think it really means anything and, in some ways, it’s a bit patronising. However, it is a nice
gesture. At least some effort is being made to recognise women and their contribution to society. My two children
wore purple clothes to school today and I wore a purple vest to teach and train in. I posted about all the women
who help me on social media, from my mother, to my sister-in-law, to my friends who have helped me out in times
of real need.

Kati - Belgium

C. I grew up in Hungary where it was celebrated each year. I’ve always disliked it. Women there didn’t have to battle
with getting to work in the same way as they did in the West, but it wasn’t an equal society in any way, shape or
form. There was a very solid glass ceiling for women. Just the other day, I was watching a video of a government
meeting and there were zero women in it. Not a single one. As a result, I’m very sarcastic about it due to all of
those years with double standards. I don’t mind others celebrating the day, but I don’t personally. I think there
should be more Women’s Days – at least 365 of them.

Marjorie - Austria

D. I’m originally from the United States and Equal Rights laws were passed there in 1971, but they couldn’t get
enough states to vote for it. The time limit ran out and they are still trying to extend it. Now some states limiting
women’s rights again and it looks like they are in danger. I still don’t know why we have so few women in positions
of power in countries around the world. However, I’m amazed by the women who are showing so much courage
around the world, particularly those in Ukraine and the surrounding countries who are showing such bravery in
the face of danger. I was marching today with female friends in Graz to celebrate the day and keep women’s rights
as a topic of focus.

Vale - Argentina

E. During the pandemic, there were 288 females killed here in Argentina which was one murder every 30 hours. So
far in 2022, there have been 51 females murdered here; one every 28 hours. So partly for this reason I will be out
demonstrating in my city today; it’s going to be huge and there will be demonstrations all across Argentina. We
will be playing the drums which is traditionally what men do. I will be joining a group of native American women
who come from the same area as me. Lots of native lands have been sold to rich people from other nations. This
has negatively affected them as they farmed and used the land to survive and now, they are being left without
anything. This has been going on for well over 100 years and women are being pushed out. Women have not been
recognised in all areas of life but particularly financially and economically and we don’t have the same possibilities
as men, even today.

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7 Reading comprehension

Read the article on page six again and complete the following statements with the correct names.

1. and will be publicly and personally supporting International Women’s

Day.

2. doesn’t like businesses trying to profit from International Women’s Day.

3. honoured all the woman who have been there for her in her life.

4. has negative opinions about International Women’s Day because she doesn’t think
it has created real change.

5. and are immigrants.

6. talks about the way women are treated as being connected to the money they
earn.

7. talks about how there have been legal difficulties with women’s rights in her
country.

8. doesn’t do anything special on International Women’s Day.

8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Which of the women in the article do you most agree with? Why?
2. Do you think there should be an International Women’s Day? Why/why not?
3. Have you seen examples of women being treated differently from men? What happened?
4. Do you think women will always be treated differently from men? Or do you think it will change?
Why?
5. Are women treated the same as men in your country? Why/why not?

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9 Extended activity / homework

Read the essay question.

"Women should be paid less as they are more likely to leave in order to have children. It is
much more expensive for a company to employ women than it is men."

To what extent do you agree with the above statement?

You should:

• write at least 250 words,

• check your grammar, spelling and punctuation.

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Transcripts

3. Listening for details

Interviewer: ... and as today is March 8th, we have Anita in the studio to talk to us about International
Women’s Day. Anita, Welcome!

Anita: Thanks for having me!

Interviewer: So, Anita, I think most of our listeners have a bit of an idea about International Women’s
Day, but can you tell us: when did it start?

Anita: Well, the beginnings go all the way back to 1909 where a ‘National Women’s Day’ was
held in New York City. The day was suggested by Teresa Malkiel who came to New York
from Russia and went to work in a factory at the age of 17. She was a strong supporter
of the women’s rights and workers in general at a time when it was much more difficult
to do so than it is today. She spoke out strongly against the racism that she found in the
Southern States and once stood in the rain giving a speech to a large group of African-
Americans as they were not allowed to enter the local meeting hall. She also strongly
encouraged adult education for immigrant women, starting classes and a summer camp
which helped them with the skills they needed and helped them to become American
citizens. So, she was very much a strong voice, not only for women, but for everyone.

Interviewer: Fascinating! So how is that work continuing today?

Anita: Essentially, the celebration has progressed throughout the years to include many areas
which negatively affect women, such as working conditions, health, education and the
environment.

Interviewer: How are these issues connected to women?

Anita: Well, for example, working women are still paid less and are much less likely to be in
position of power than men. In many countries, such as the United States for example,
working women are given hardly any time off to give birth and are expected to be back
at work very soon after they have had their child. However, fathers are often given
no, or very little, time off to help, so the responsibility for the child always falls to the
mother. This also negatively affects the child as they are less likely to form a strong
relationship with their father if he is out working all the time. It’s even more difficult for
single mothers, who are very often seen in a negative way in societies all around the
world and have the responsibilities of working and looking after their children.

Interviewer: What about health and education?

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Anita: We still have a lot of progress to make in the world with women’s health and this is
connected to the workplace. It’s very often male doctors, health officials and politicians
making decisions about women’s bodies. Women in many areas around the world also
have less access to education, with some countries banning the education of females
altogether and expecting them to work in the home. Without education, women are
powerless to express themselves and to contribute to society. In that, we all lose. If
the millions of women who don’t have access to education did, just imagine what the
benefits could be as a human race?

Interviewer: So is this just about women?

Anita: In a way, it’s about all of us. It’s important to remember that women’s rights are human
rights. Some people think the celebration is against men, but this is incorrect. Studies
show that in societies where women are treated more equally, everyone benefits -
including men. We want to celebrate the achievements of women – and there are
many, as well as increase awareness of bias against women. In fact, our slogan this year
is ‘Break the bias’. You may well have seen it used on social media and it’s also traditional
for people celebrating to wear purple on this day to honour and respect women

Interviewer: Thank you so much, Anita for talking to us today. Now we’re going to go over to our
listeners to hear about what International Women’s Day means to them. Our first caller
is ...

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Key

1. Warm up

5 mins.
This introduces the topic and gets students to briefly think about the day. The first two questions will be answered
in the listening task, so you can leave them to find it out then, or let them research the answer themselves if they
don’t already know it.

1. March 8th 2. 1909

2. Focus on vocabulary

Part A
5 mins.
Ensure students can correctly pronounce the target vocabulary. Ask students to do the exercise unaided in the
first instance, but allow them to use a reference later if needed.

1. → h. 2. → d. 3. → a. 4. → e. 5. → c. 6. → b. 7. → f. 8. → g.
Part B
10 mins.
Ask students to predict which part of speech can fill the gaps before completing the exercise. When they have
finished, ask them to discuss the questions to practise using the vocabulary.

1. immigrants 2. access 3. awareness 4. progressed

5. bias 6. honour 7. slogan 8. racism

3. Listening for details

5 mins.
This gives students a chance to listen to the interview ahead of the main comprehension.
Audio sources:
www.internationalwomensday.com
www.msn.com - When is International Women’s Day and how is it celebrated?
wikipedia.org - Theresa Malkiel

1. ✓ What about health and education?

2. ✓ When did it start?
4. ✓ How are these issues connected to women?
6. ✓ How is that work continuing today?
8. ✓ Is this just about women?

4. Listening comprehension

5 mins.
You may want to ask students to take notes to support their answers.

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1. False. ‘who came to New York from Russia...’

2. True. ‘She spoke out strongly against the racism that she found in the Southern States and once stood in the
rain giving a speech to a large group of African-Americans as they were not allowed to enter the local meeting
hall.’
3. True. ‘...the celebration has progressed throughout the years to include many areas which negatively affect
women, such as working conditions, health, education and the environment.’
4. False. ‘However, fathers are often given no, or very little, time off to help, so the responsibility for the child
always falls to the mother.’
5. True. ‘It’s even more difficult for single mothers, who are very often seen in a negative way in societies all
around the world and have the responsibilities of working and looking after their children.’
6. False. ‘Women in many areas around the world also have less access to education, with some countries banning
the education of females altogether and expecting them to work in the home.’
7. True. ‘...it’s also traditional for people celebrating to wear purple on this day to honour and respect women.’

5. Scanning for details

5 mins.
You may want to set a strict time limit to encourage skimming rather than reading for detail. You may also want
to remind students that numbers under 10 tend to be written as words rather than numbers.

a. Nadia thinks a lot has changed for women in the last 20 years.
b. Tracy has two children.
c. There were zero women in a government meeting that Kati watched.
d. Kati thinks there should be 365 women’s days.
e. 288 women were murdered in Argentina during the pandemic.
f. 51 women have been murdered so far during 2022 in Argentina.
g. So far in 2022, a woman has been murdered every 28 hours on average in Argentina.

6. Scanning for vocabulary

5 mins.
This gives students additional support with vocabulary. You may also want to elicit, or ask them to look up, the
following words:
boost (v) – to increase
display (n) – an arrangement designed to show a product in the best way
insulting (adj.) – making someone feel hurt or offended
patronise (v) – to communicate with someone as though they are less intelligent, knowledgeable or experienced
gesture (n) – an act that shows a particular feeling or intention
push out (phr. v) – to force someone to leave an area or an organisation

Answers:

1. under-represented 2. lack of balance 3. contribution 4. glass ceiling

5. double standards 6. courage 7. bravery 8. demonstrate
These views were put together based on women talking about their experiences with the author of this worksheet.

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7. Reading comprehension

10 mins.
Ask students to read the article more carefully and complete the sentences with the correct names.

1. Vale/Marjorie ≀ Marjorie/Vale 2. Nadia

3. Tracy 4. Kati
5. Marjorie ≀ Kati 6. Vale
7. Marjorie 8. Kati

8. Talking point

10 mins.
Ask students to discuss the questions in pairs or small groups. Circulate and help as needed.

9. Extended activity / homework

45 mins+.
Ask students to plan, write and edit their essays. Be sure to give feedback on their work.

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