International Womens Day

In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Women’s Day was observed across the United States on 28 February 1909. In 1910, the Socialist Inyernational, meeting in Copengagen, established a Woman’s Day, international in character, to honour the movement for women’s rights and to assist in achieving universal sufferage forwomen. The proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, which included the first three women elected to the Finish parliament.

No fixed date was selected for the observance. As part of the peace movement brewing on the eve of World War I. Russian women observed their first The International Women’s Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. Elsewhere in Europe, on or around 8 March of the following year, women held rallies either to protest the war to express solidarity with their sisters. Since those early years, The International Women’s Day has be come important all over the world for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women’s movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nation’s women’s conferences, has asked for coordinated efforts to demand women’s rights and participation in the political and economic process. Increasingly, The International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of women’s rights.

1. Choose the best answer from the alternatives:                                                    1  5 = 5

    a. The International Women’s Day is very important in __________.

    i) poor countries                                                        iii) developed and developing countries

    iii) developed countries                                                                                 iv) none of these

    b. Women held rallies to protest the __________.

    i) peace                           ii) war                               iii) right                          iv) competition

    c. `Suffrage” means __________.

    i)right to vote                                                                                                 ii)determination

    iii) rights to free thinking                                               iv) right to flight for political power

    d. How was the proposal greeted ?

    i) with unanimous approval        ii) with avidity       iii) with happiness    iv) with greatness

    e. Women can gain their rights by __________.

    i) war                   ii) united efforts                    iii) being rich                        iv) helping man

2. Write whether the statements are true or false.If false, give the correct  answer:                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                      1 5 = 5

     a. Women held rallies in favour of war.

     b. Women raised their voice because they wanted equal rights as men.

     c. The meeting was held in Landon at first.

     d. The women’s movement started in Asia.

     e. A fixed date was selected to observe the Women’s Day in Copenhagen Conference.

3. Fill in each gap in the following passage with a suitable word from the box. There are more words than necessary :                                                                    

begin	day	over	last	Russia	was
importance	right	important	observed	declared	poor

Now the Women’s Day is (a)------ internationally.It started in the (b)------ century. The Socialist Party of America first (c)------ to observe Women’s Day, on 28 February 1909. Women’s Day (d)------ observed nationally all (e)------ the United States. Women’s Day was observed internationally in (f)------ 1913. Today the day is (g)------ both in rich and (h)------ countries. Its (i)------ is increasing (j)------ by day.

4. Write a paragraph based on the information about The International Women’s Day. Use the clues in the box below. Write the information in a logical sequence as it appears in the text. The paragraph should not exceed 70 words.                                                     5

suffrage ----- observance ----- movement ---- demand ----- progress ----- rights

5. Answer the following questions :                                                                          1  5 = 5

    a. Why did women hold rallies ?

    b. What was the outcome of the Copenhagen meeting ?

    c. When and why did the Russian women observe their first International Women’s Day ?

    d. When was the Copenhagen Meeting held ?

    e. When was the first Women’s Day observed ?

6. Fill in each gap with a suitable word from the text :                                       

The proposal was (a)------ with (b)------ approval by the (c)----- of over 100 women from 17 countries. No fixed date was (d)------ for the (e)------. As part of (f)------ movement (g)------ of the (h)------ of the World War I. Russian women (i)------ the First International Women’s Day on the last (j)------ in February 1913.

7. Write a paragraph in about 70-80 words about the formation of International Women’s Day.                                                                                                                          5

8. Read the passage again and write the main idea of the passage in not more than five sentences.                                                                                                                                  5