Breaking through

We are living in the 21st century and many things have changed the course of history for women around the world. Nowadays, women have important jobs and they are essential for the economy of any country. However, this has not always been like that… In the past, women didn’t have the rights they have now; in fact, they weren’t taken into account to develop other tasks, but the chores and housework at home. Definitely some ideas have changed, there’s another perception about the role of a woman in society, but some other misconceptions are still the same, unfortunately.

Read the conversation between Loly and her grandma Nat. Observe how they are talking about past events and the contrast with the present.

Breaking through
Writing exercise

Now, imagine you are Loly’s grandma, and want to answer your granddaughter’s questions. Use the clues in the chart to continue the conversation in a logical way. Look at the example to have a better idea of what you have to do, then continue on your own with the conversation.

Example | as a secretary | stop working | got pregnant |

Loly: And what about job opportunities? What was your first job?

Nat: I worked as a secretary, but when I got pregnant, I had to stop working.

Loly: Was it usual for women to get pregnant young? Did all stop working?

| while | be pregnant | ver common | not work |

Nat: It was very common. Women didn’t work while being pregnant.

Loly: OMG! Nowadays, women can work until they are about to give birth. I can’t believe in the past, you couldn’t do that. So that means that you never came back to work?

| have children | right | stay home | when |

Nat: That 's right! When women had children, we stayed home.

Loly: How unfair! My mom came back to work and you raised me, granny.

Nat: I know! Grandmothers were supposed to raise grandchildren.

Now, exchange roles. This time you are Loly. Continue the conversation with your grandmother, use clues in the box to continue the conversation.

| not having kids | mom | not do that |

Loly: My mom won’t do that, I’m not having kids.

Nat: It’s great that currently, young ladies like you think more about their future alone, not with children.

| have a family | want | none | get married | friends |

Loly: Yes, grandma None of my friends want to get married, or have a family.

| around the world | think | just | traveling |

Loly: It’s just that we are thinking more about traveling around the world, you know.

Nat: Sure! That sounds terrific. Women like me and my mom couldn't even think about that. And now with the advances of technology you can travel and study at the same time.

| study a major | learning English, Italian and French | in Arts |

Loly: Yeah! Like I’m doing now. I’m studying a major in Arts while I’m learning English, Italian and French!

Nat: I’m so proud! I didn’t have the chance to study a major, I just studied to be a secretary.

| not matter | not to have a major | intelligent, brave woman |

Loly: I know, grandma. I’m also proud of you! It doesn’t matter that you don’t have a major, you are an intelligent, brave woman.

Now Loly has to organize her information to write about women’s lives in the past and the present. The following are some ideas she has from her investigation, as well as from the interview with her grandmother Nat.

Writing exercise

Help Loly to write short paragraphs for her homework, complete the ideas using the information above.

Paragraph 1

Women have fought for their rights throughout history because they didn’t have any in the past. For instance, women didn’t have the right to vote, in fact, the first woman voted until the 1950s in this country. Nowadays, they can elect their president and other politicians.

Paragraph 2

Although there is gender equality in the constitutions of some countries, women earn 24% less than men. It’s true that they are famous in science, art, technology, politics, economics, etc. However, while women work as hard as men, they don’t earn the same amount of money.

Paragraph 3

Some years ago, while men were working, women who had children stayed at home. Women didn’t study a major, while men were studying, working and growing as professionals.

Paragraph 4

In present times, women don’t want to get married, or have children. They want to study and travel. They are just breaking through another perspective in which they are more than child-carers and maids.

Paragraph 5

Sadly, women are still diminished; for example, child-marriaged is still a reality in some countries. Very young women are pushed to have a husband when they are only little girls. What’s more, in other places, people are murdering women just for being women.

Paragraph 6

Fortunately, women are fighting harder than ever for their rights and every March 8th they cram the streets around the world demanding respect.

For you to know more about March 8th, read the following information about International Women’s Day.

Writing exercise

Read the facts about the history of International Women’s Day. The sentences are not complete, use the verbs in parentheses in the correct tense to complete the sentences. And also, choose a linker from the box and write it on the correct gap.

Women's day

| but | after that | while | so | and | because |

1 | Women were living oppression, but in 1908, 15,000 women marched in NYC to demand voting rights. (live/march)

2 | After that, on March 25 1911, a tragic fire took the life of 140 immigrant women while they were working. (take/work)

3 | So, as a result, working conditions and labor legislation changed drastically. (change)

4 | In 1914, International Women’s Day was marked on March 8 and the United Nations celebrated this day for the first time in 1975. (celebrate)

5 | Nowadays, when women march annually, younger generations are taking action in favor of equality because even in the 21 century, women still suffer from discrimination and violence. (march, take, suffer)

Check the following link to listen to a song that invites us to break the idea that women should be a certain way. There are also exercises if you want to practice with vocabulary. Break the bias
Self-evaluation: Writing

Look at the following chart and tick the things you did in this writing section to evaluate your own work.

In my writing… Yes, I did it! Oops! No, I didn’t do it!
I used present and past simple to build a dialogue and to write about important events.
I used present continuous and past continuous to build a dialogue and to write about the process of important events.
I could identify the logical order of ideas to write short paragraphs.
I connected ideas using linking words.