國發會與ICRT共同製播的時事英語廣播“The World in Brief”固定於每周三在雙語資料庫學習資源網更新，與大家一起聽時事學英文。

本周主題：女性月

每年的3月為女性月，或稱婦女歷史月 (Women’s History Month)，透過這個節日來表彰婦女對歷史、文化與社會的貢獻。究竟這個節日是如何從日到週再到現在的月的呢？想知道更多嗎？讓我們用３分鐘的時間一起來聽聽記者Max McGrath怎麼說吧！

 

【Transcript】

Nora: The biggest news …he best guests …the boldest events This is ‘The World in Brief’ with Max McGrath.

Max: Hey there! It’s me, Max McGrath! March is Women’s History Month, a time to recognize the incredible achievements of women everywhere, past and present. Which is why, this week, Nora Yu and I have switched jobs! She’s out roving and reporting all the way over in sunny Denmark! Nora, are you there?Nora: I’m here, Max! Right now, I’m relaxing on the grounds of the beautiful Kurhotel Skodsborg, a luxury resort just north of Copenhagen. I’m joined by women’s rights activist Freja Nielsen. Freja, hi!

Freja: Hi Nora. Wow, this place is really posh!

Nora: Shall we go inside? Perhaps we should tell our listeners why we’re here today, Freja. It’s not just to get pampered, right?

Freja: Absolutely! I’d love to get the full spa treatment, but we’re here to learn about how Women’s History Month began, for posterity.

Nora: You mean, we’re here to educate future generations?

Freja: Exactly. Back in 1910, one hundred guests from 17 countries met to talk about important issues like gender equality.

Nora: They wanted society to be fairer for women and girls …

Freja: We still do, don’t we?

Nora: Of course! There’s so much still to do.

Freja: It was in this building, 113 years ago, that Clara Zetkin, an important women’s rights activist, first suggested a day for recognizing women around the world. An International Women’s Day.

Nora: Just a minute, you said ‘day’ … I think you meant ‘month’, didn’t you?

Freja: Actually, that’s all it was at first! Can you believe that?! Just one day to recognize women’s greatest achievements.

Nora: So when did it change?

Freja: Well, it didn’t last long. After a while, the holiday was basically forgotten for almost 60 years. Then, in 1969, a famous American activist called Laura X organized a big women’s rights march in California …

Nora: … on International Women’s Day?

Freja: You got it! People discovered the holiday all over again, but nothing changed. It was still only one day.

Nora: What?!

Freja: The United Nations finally recognized the holiday in 1975. Then three years later, a school in California turned that day into a week.

Nora: … still not a month though.

Freja: That didn’t happen for another 10 years! In 1988, after a decade of women campaigning, the president of the United States declared the whole of March to be ‘Women’s History Month’.

Nora: Still, just one month? It doesn’t feel long enough.

Freja: True, but think about it … Clara Zetkin and her conference started this all so long ago. It’s taken us 113 years just to turn that one day into a month.

Freja: It shows how hard women and girls have to fight all the time just for our opinions to be heard.

Nora: You are absolutely right. Thank you, Freja. Reporting live from Skodsborg, Denmark, I’m Nora Yu. Max?

Max: Thanks, Nora! Happy Women’s History Month everybody, see you next time! I’m Max McGrath.

 

【Vocabulary】

Pampered 嬌生慣養的(adj.)

Although some people claim women lead pampered lives compared to men, women often have to struggle for equal access to rights, resources, and opportunities.

 

Women’s rights activist 女權運動人士(n.)

Being a women’s rights activist, publicly campaigning for equality, requires courage and dedication.

 

Posterity 後代(n.)

The report on the long-ago conference in Denmark saved Clara Zetkin’s suggestion of an International Women’s Day for posterity.

 

Gender equality 性別平等(n.)

Overcoming the many societal barriers to gender equality has been a lifetime task for women.

 

Campaigning 發起活動(v.)

Women and their supporters have been campaigning for equality on many fronts, ranging from personal relationships to international platforms.