Women's History Month

Happy Women's History Month in March! Many countries celebrate International Women's Day every year on March 8th, some as official public holidays, and some less formally. Unfortunately, none of the major English-speaking countries—the United States, the United Kingdom, or Canada—observe the holiday officially. The United States has, however, made Women's History Month a "proclaimed" one-month observance since 1987. Every year, the White House makes an official proclamation about it.

This experience has convinced me that we all need to focus on the issues that afflict women around the world, and we need to do it now.

Captions 9-10, A Message from Prince Harry - At the CHIME for Change Concert

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What are some of the issues that affect, or as Prince Harry puts it, afflict women around the world?

You're disrespectful, bullying, sexist, and I hate to say it, misogynistic.

Caption 14, Madonna - The Glee Club

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You probably know what the first three words above mean, but do you know what is meant by "misogyny"? This unpleasant word comes from the ancient Greek words for "hate" and "women."

Women's liberation has made us not have to be slaves to our anatomy.

Captions 57-58, Mayim Bialik - Open Relationships

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"Women's liberation" is a term for the women's rights movement. And while it is true that women's rights have advanced a lot in some countries, there is still a long way to go for women to truly have equal rights under the law and in real practice around the world.

By investing in education and women's rights, and raising people out of poverty, we could bring about "peak human" even sooner.

Captions 12-14, WWF International - How to Save Our Planet

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In this video, the speakers believe that better women's rights are essential in improving the evolution of humanity.

Thank you for showing your support for women's rights.

Caption 4, A Message from Prince Harry  - At the CHIME for Change Concert

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You are very welcome, Prince Harry.

Further Learning
But seriously—and this goes for everyone, not just the males of the species: When is the last time you had a good talk about women's rights? Watch the videos above on Yabla English and write down some questions that come to mind in English. Then, either in small groups or in tandems, talk about your views on some of the issues. How we can improve our support for women's rights in our own lives?