International Women’s Day (8 March) is an occasion marked by women’s groups around the world. This date is also commemorated at the United Nations and is 1 in many countries as a national holiday. When women on all continents often divided by national boundaries and by 2 , linguistic (语言上的), cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day, they can 3 to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, 4 , peace, and development. International Women’s Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history; it is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to 5 society on an equal footing with men. In ancient Greece, Lysistrata initiated a sexual strike against men in order to end war, during the French Revolution, Parisian women 6 "liberty, equality, friendship" marched on Versailles to demand women’s rights to vote. The idea of an International Women’s Day first arose at the turn of the century, which in the industrialized world was a period of 7 and turbulence, booming population growth and radical ideologies. Since those early years, International Women’s Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women’s movement, which has been 8 by four global United Nations women’s conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point for 9 efforts to demand women’s rights and participation in the political and economic process. Increasingly, 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 10 role in the history of women’s rights.