From food to dance, women across the globe are affected by the cultures in which they are raised.

Celebrating International Women’s Day, the Sloss House Women’s Center and the Carrie Chapman Catt Center are presenting an international food fair and dance at 6 p.m. Friday in the Gallery of the Memorial Union.

The cuisine will include main courses, deserts and drinks prepared from recipes supplied by various international students and groups.

The organizing committee of this event selected different dishes from various countries to give the attendees a taste of food from around the world.

As the guests are allowed to intermingle and learn about the food and cultures of other nations, different groups of students clad in native dress will perform traditional dance from their countries of origin.

After the guests have had their fill of food, the international students are planning to demonstrate and teach a few steps of their native dance to those in attendance who are willing.

“It will be an easy way to take a trip around the world and learn about different cultures, communities and gender across the nations,” said Penny Rice, director of the program and the Women’s Center. “You can gain an appreciation for the similarities and differences between people, and get your bellies full.”

The Sloss House Women’s Center and the Catt Center hope to teach students at Iowa State how culture affects women on a global scale, Rice said.

Rashmi Ahuja, an international student from India majoring in finance and management information systems, said this event is a positive experience for her as a female international student.

“It’s giving me a great opportunity to honor women around the world,” she said. “It marks the struggle of achievements throughout history.”

International Women’s Day was first celebrated near the turn of the century, and the March 8 date went into effect in 1917, according to www.un.org.