Women make up 50 percent of world's population and yet they are not treated equally. They hold less than one-fifth of the all parliamentary (议会) seats around the world, occupy less than 19 percent of board (董事会) seats in Fortune 500 companies and earn 17 percent less than men for similar skills and positions. As a group, they are passed over and looked down on.
On March 8 every year, millions of women around the world celebrate International Women's Day. It is possible that you may not have heard about the International Women's Day in the United States. Yet Women's Day had its origin in the United States.
Women's Day was first celebrated in February 1909 in the US to mark the one-year anniversary of the New York Garment Worker's Strike of 1908. Women used the chance to fight against warring and fight for women's vote rights.
Did you know that it was a Women's Day protest in St. Petersburg in 1917, which led to the revolution (革命) for bringing down the Russian empire? After the Russian revolution, Women's Day came to be celebrated as a communist (共产主义的) or socialist (社会主义的) holiday. As a result, the United States government didn't accept it as a holiday.
Today Women's Day is celebrated in places such as China and Russia as a sort of state-approved Valentine's Day or Mother's Day. The tradition in these countries is to give flowers and gifts to the important women in one's life.
In 1975, the United Nations officially announced March 8 as International Women's Day. Since then, it has been a practice to suggest an annual theme for each year. The theme for 2016 is "Pledge For Parity." It calls on women and men to challenge the present state and inspire positive change in their communities and workplaces.
There is a lot that needs to be done. As a society, we need to offer women and girls chances to make their dreams come true, have equal chances for leadership, respect and value differences, and develop a better work environment. This day challenges and reminds that everyone can be a leader in their own small way and can take positive steps to bring about gender equality.
Our world can truly be balanced when we use the potential that women have to offer. As we prepare children for the future, it is important that girls and women not be left behind.
Women's present situation | Women make up of the world's population. |
Women get chances and less money while working. | |
of Women's Day | It was first celebrated in the US in 1909. |
The Women's Day protest in 1917 the revolution in Russia. | |
It was not as a holiday in the United States. | |
The United Nations March 8thas International Women's Day in 1975. | |
Ways of celebrating Women's Day | Being as a sort of state-approved Valentine's Day or Mother's Day. |
Flowers and gifts are to the important women in one's life. | |
of Women's Day | To help women and girls' dreams. |
To help women get chances for leadership equally. | |
To develop a better work environment for women. |
