“国际妇女节”意在凸显女性在社会中的重要角色，但是，这并不是每年的例行公事。我们最大的挑战在于：3月8日这天，各种庆祝活动大张旗鼓；3月8日之后，一切“绚丽”关注烟消云散…

这里以南非、俄罗斯和美国为例，向您介绍世界其它国家如何开始关注女性。而对于如何庆祝妇女节，如何使它更为温馨和富有人性化，最好的答案是在您日常的行动中。

Women's Day Celebration In Sawa

Women's Day marks the role of women in both the past and the present. It was started to highlight the importance of working women and bring to light their problems. However, the day is not a one-day agenda. The real challenge lies in the spontaneous flow of feelings -- honoring and celebrating womanhood on a particular March 8 only to forget its importance the next day is sacrilegious.

In this article, we'd like to introduce to you the way to celebrate International Women's Day in other countries, including the countries in South Africa, U.S. and Russia.

   Women's day in South Africa

In countries like South Africa, the people celebrate the national Women's day on 9 August every year with a variety of events.

Women's Day on 9 August marks the day, in 1956, when 20000 women marched on the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against one of the cornerstones of apartheid - the pass laws.

The countries will nowadays celebrate the month of August, by a ceremony promoting women in politics and decision-making positions, awarding them certificates of honour.

  Women's day in U.S .

IWD was commemorated in the United States during the 1910s and 1920s, but then dwindled. It was revived during the women's movement in the 1960s, but without its socialist associations.

In 1981, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution establishing National Women's History Week. The week was chosen to coincide with International Women's Day, March 8. In 1987, Congress expanded the week to a month. Every year since, Congress has passed a resolution for Women's History Month, and the U.S. president has issued a proclamation. Since its founding, the National Women's History Project has recognized and celebrated the rich and varied contributions of women to the history and culture of the United States.

The 2005 Women's History Month theme, "Women Change America," honors and recognizes the role of American women in transforming culture, history and politics as leaders, writers, scientists, educators, politicians, artists, historians, and informed citizens. "Women Change America" also celebrates the myriad ways in which the spirit, courage, and contributions of American women have added to the vitality, richness, and diversity of American life.

   Women's day in Russia

Kollontai, a minister in the first Soviet government, persuaded Lenin to make March 8 an official communist holiday in 1909. During the Soviet period, the holiday celebrated "the heroic woman worker."

Today the Russians are still the premier celebrators of the March 8 holiday. Around the world, the event is a way to honor women's contributions to history. But in Russia, the festivities go a step further - celebrated in the fashion of Mother's Day with flowers or breakfast in bed-in which men boys are expected to bestow presents and show appreciation for the women in their lives.

   Tips on Women's Day

This day is a great way to honor the women in our lives- mothers, sisters, wives, daughters - everyone should be made to feel special. Here are a few ways by which you can mark the day:

1. Think about all those women who have helped in their own way to shape your life. Do something they would have liked.

2. Consider cooking their favorite food, planting their favorite flowers in your garden or sending a check to their favorite charity. The idea is to make them feel special.

3. Host an all women's party and have a ball of a time.

4. Shower the women in your life with wonderful gifts (if you're a man) expressing your love and respect towards their individuality.

5. Accept graciously when the men in your life shower you with gifts (if you're a woman).

   Background

南非妇女节时间有别于国际妇女节。 1956年8月9日，数百名黑人妇女在比勒陀利亚举行示威游行，抗议当局推行种族隔离的"通行证法"。新南非政府将这一天定为妇女节，以纪念南非妇女在争取平等斗争中所作的贡献，并将这一天定为全国公假日。

从此，每年的 8 月 9 日，南非各地的妇女纷纷举行各种形式的庆祝活动，要求实现男女平等、结束党派冲突与暴力，保证妇女生存权益和反对性骚扰与性犯罪，以消除旧南非种族隔离制度造成的根深蒂固的歧视妇女的影响。

三·八妇女节是俄罗斯人相为重视的节日之一。这一天的鲜花价格，甚至能超过情人节的价格。每个男人都会为自己心爱的人送上一束鲜花。学生也会为自己的女老师送上鲜花表达谢意。附带着鲜花的畅销货则是香槟酒了。除了送礼物外，俄罗斯人总会与亲朋好友聚在一起，庆贺一番。平时很少从事家务活的俄罗斯男人这天也会亲自下厨房，为全家人准备一顿美餐。而女士们则不必动手，坐享其成。

mark:（祝贺，庆祝）

commemorate:（祝贺，庆祝）

preposterous: absurd,crazy（荒谬的）

resolution: a formal statement of a decision or expression of opinion put before or adopted by an assembly such as the U.S. Congress (在国会中提出或通过的议案)

premier: first in status or importance(首要的，主要的）