International Women's Day quizzes

International Women's Day is on 8 March. It grew out of early twentieth century labour and suffrage movements, and the first gatherings took place on 19 March 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. The date moved to 8 March in the following years. The United Nations began celebrating the day in 1975, which was International Women's Year, and invited member states to mark it in 1977.

The day honours the achievements of women and calls for equality. Each year has its own theme, and purple, green and white are the colours most often linked with the day. Many workplaces and schools mark it with talks, recognition and learning sessions.

A quiz is a good way to celebrate women's achievements in history, science, the arts and public life. The template here mixes trivia with discussion questions, and works for teams, classrooms and communities.

• Ask team members to nominate a woman who has inspired them before the quiz begins, and share the names on screen.
• Use the discussion questions to start a conversation, and leave room for people to say what matters to them.
• Check each fact against a source before you add your own questions, as dates and firsts are often misquoted.
• Keep the tone respectful and focused on achievement, and avoid stereotypes in any questions you add.
• Offer a book or a donation to a chosen charity as the prize.