International Women's Day (activities and quizzes)
Globally, only one in three businesses are owned by women, according to the World Bank. In recognition of International Women’s Day and the drive to promote greater equality, have a go at this Entrepreneurs & Leaders MCQ Quiz.
| 1. | Which of the following businesses was established by Arianna Huffington in May 2005? | |
| A. | AOL | |
| B. | The Huffington Post | |
| C. | Time Magazine | |
| D. | Thrive Global | |
B. The Huffington Post
| 2. | In January 2021, who became the first female Vice President of the USA? | |
| A. | Condoleezza Rice | |
| B. | Hillary Clinton | |
| C. | Kamala Harris | |
| D. | Sarah Palin | |
C. Kamala Harris
| 3. | Who became the youngest female Prime Minister of New Zealand, aged just 37? | |
| A. | Angela Merkel | |
| B. | Helle Thorning-Schmidt | |
| C. | Jacinda Arden | |
| D. | Sanna Marin | |
C. Jacinda Arden
| 4. | Dame Anita Roddick (1942 – 2007) was a British businesswoman and human rights activist. Which for-profit multinational company did she establish? | |
| A. | Children on the Edge | |
| B. | L’Oreal | |
| C. | Natura | |
| D. | The Body Shop | |
D. The Body Shop
| 5. | Which American media personality and businesswoman was featured in Forbes in 2019 with an estimated net worth of $1 billion, making her, at age 21 then, the world’s youngest self-made billionaire? | |
| A. | Kylie Jenner | |
| B. | Sara Blakely | |
| C. | Sheryl Sandberg | |
| D. | Yang Lan | |
A. Kylie Jenner
Click the icon below to see the detailed answers.
| 1. | Which of the following business was established by Arianna Huffington in May 2005? | |
| A. | AOL | |
| B. | The Huffington Post | |
| C. | Time Magazine | |
| D. | Thrive Global | |
The name gives it away! Arianna Huffington set up The Huffington Post on 9 May 2005. She later sold the company to AOL in 2011 for $315 million, but continued to guide it and grow the Huffington brand overseas. In 2016, she stepped down from The Huffington Post as Editor-in-chief to launch Thrive Global, health and wellness start-up company, where she is the CEO. In 2020, Time Magazine listed Arianna Huffington as one of the world’s 100 most influential people. Forbes also listed her as 77th in their Most Powerful Women list in 2020
| 2. | In January 2021, who became the first female Vice President of the USA? | |
| A. | Condoleezza Rice | |
| B. | Hillary Clinton | |
| C. | Kamala Harris | |
| D. | Sarah Palin | |
Kamala Harris was California's attorney general from 2011 to 2017, and elected to the US Senate in 2016. Harris was nominated as the Democratic VP nominee in the 2020 election, the third female to have been nominated for the position. Harris is the first African-American and Asian-American Vice President of the USA. Condoleezza Rice was Secretary of State during George W. Bush’s presidency (2001 – 2009) and the first black woman to have served in that position. Hillary Clinton served as US Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013. She is the first woman to be nominated for President of the USA after winning the Democratic Party nomination in 2016. Sarah Palin was the governor of Alaska from 2006 to 2009. She was the Republican Party’s first female VP nomination in the 2008 election.
| 3. | Who became the youngest female Prime Minister of New Zealand, aged just 37? | |
| A. | Angela Merkel | |
| B. | Helle Thorning-Schmidt | |
| C. | Jacinda Arden | |
| D. | Sanna Marin | |
Jacinda Arden not only became the youngest female Prime Minister of New Zealand, aged just 37, but also the world’s youngest head of government at the time. She is also only the second elected head of government to give birth while in office (after Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan). Recent newspaper reports showed that when she was graduating from high school at Morrinsville College in 1998, Ardern was voted the student most likely to become Prime Minister by her peers. Angela Merkel is Chancellor of Germany (the head of government and commander in chief of Germany), a position she has held since 2005. Helle Thorning-Schmidt was the Prime Minister of Denmark from 2011 to 2015. Aged 45 at the time, she is the first woman to hold the position in the country. Sanna Marin became the 46th Prime Minister of Finland in December 2019. Aged just 35, she is the world’s youngest female state leader, and Finland's youngest-ever prime minister.
| 4. | Dame Anita Roddick (1942 – 2007) was a British businesswoman and human rights activist. Which for-profit multinational company did she establish? | |
| A. | Children on the Edge | |
| B. | L’Oreal | |
| C. | Natura | |
| D. | The Body Shop | |
The Body Shop was set up by Anita Roddick in her hometown of Brighton in 1976. Today, The Body Shop has a product range of more than 1,000 products sold in about 3,000 stores in more than 65 countries. Children on the Edge was set up by Roddick, but as a non-profit children’s charity. In 2006, L'Oréal took over The Body Shop for the sum of £652.3 million ($902m). Today, The Body Shop is owned by Brazilian cosmetics company Natura, having bought the company from L'Oréal in 2017 for £880 million ($1.216bn).
| 5. | Which American media personality and businesswoman was featured in Forbes in 2019 with an estimated net worth of $1 billion, making her, at age 21 then, the world’s youngest self-made billionaire? | |
| A. | Kylie Jenner | |
| B. | Sara Blakely | |
| C. | Sheryl Sandberg | |
| D. | Yang Lan | |
Kylie Jenner’s businesses and product portfolio are wide and vast, including the hugely successful Kylie Cosmetics. Sara Blakely is the founder of Spanx, the multi-million-dollar undergarment company, with athletic wear, swimwear, and everyday clothes sold in more than 65 countries. Sheryl Sandberg is the Chief Operations Officer at Facebook and the first woman to serve on Facebook’s Board of Directors. She has also been a board member of The Walt Disney Company. Yang Lan is a Chinese television journalist and entrepreneur. She is one of the most influential women in the media industry in China, with many people referring to her as the “Chinese Oprah Winfrey”.
This activity has been created and shared by regular contributor Dr. Rima Puri. Rima is a highly experienced IB educator and senior examiner.
Here’s to strong women. May we know them, be them, raise them. Let's uplift each other to create a world where every woman can thrive. Celebrate International Women's Day on 8th March 2025 by having a go at this activity.
Powerful Women in Business – Research & Presentation
In a world where leadership is continuously evolving, the Forbes Middle East 2025 list of the "100 Most Powerful Businesswomen" highlights trailblazing women who have shaped industries and broken barriers. These women represent diverse sectors such as finance, technology, healthcare, and more, overcoming challenges and driving growth with innovative strategies. By examining their journeys, you will gain valuable insights into the power of leadership, resilience, and communication - all essential skills for success in today’s business world.
Explore the list here and choose one businesswoman to research and present on:
- Opportunities she has leveraged in her organization or industry.
- Growth she has fostered within her organization or sector.
- Challenges she has overcome.
- Leadership style and approach to communications.
- Impact on key stakeholders (employees, customers, local communities, competitors etc.)
You can choose a range of options to present your research and findings, such as:
- Video presentation
- Infographic or Chart
- Audio presentation (podcast)
- Musical composition
- Role-play or skit
- Interactive website
- Blog post
- Any other preferred method.
Time breakdown:
- Group formation and task introduction: 5 minutes
- Research time: 30 minutes (or set as a homework research task)
- Presentation and Q&A: 10 minutes per group (5 minutes for presentation and 5 minutes for questions and answers).
Case Study - Women innovators
Celebrate women’s achievement today and beyond.
According to The National Inventors Hall of Fame, some remarkable inventions, discoveries, and breakthroughs created by women include:
- First computer algorithm (1843) - Ada Lovelace. She wrote what is widely considered the first computer algorithm, designed for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, making her the world’s first computer programmer.
- Modern nursing practices (1850s) - Florence Nightingale. She transformed healthcare by introducing sanitation standards, statistical analysis, and professional training, laying the foundations of modern nursing.
- Flat-bottomed paper bag (1870s) - Margaret E. Knight. She invented a machine that created flat-bottomed paper bags, allowing them to stand upright and carry more goods. The design is still widely used today.
- Dishwasher (1886) - Josephine Cochrane. She created the first practical mechanical dishwasher, originally designed for restaurants and hotels, revolutionizing kitchen technology.
- Radioactivity research (1898) - Marie Curie. Her pioneering work led to the discovery of polonium and radium, transforming physics and medicine and enabling modern cancer treatments such as radiotherapy.
- Windscreen wipers (1903) - Mary Anderson. She invented the first practical windscreen wiper, greatly improving driver visibility and road safety.
- The Landlord’s Game (precursor to Monopoly) (1904) - Elizabeth Magie. She created this board game to illustrate the economic dangers of monopolies and inequality. It later inspired the modern game Monopoly.
- Paper coffee filter (1908) - Melitta Bentz. She invented the paper coffee filter, improving coffee brewing by removing bitter grounds and creating a cleaner drink.
- Montessori educational method (early 1900s) - Maria Montessori. She developed a revolutionary child-centered educational approach that emphasises independence, hands-on learning, and respect for a child’s natural development.
- Natural gas central heating furnace (1919) - Alice H. Parker. She designed an early gas-powered central heating system, an important step toward the modern home heating systems used today.
- Non-reflective “invisible” glass (1938) - Katharine Burr Blodgett. She invented non-reflective glass coatings, now used in cameras, eyeglasses, microscopes, and smartphone screens.
- Frequency-hopping communication technology (1941) - Hedy Lamarr. Her invention laid the technological foundation for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and modern wireless communications.
- Duct tape concept (1943) - Vesta Stoudt. She proposed a waterproof sealing tape for military ammunition boxes, which led to the creation of duct tape.
- Mathematical modelling of Earth enabling GPS (1940s) - Gladys West. Her complex mathematical modelling of the Earth’s shape and gravitational variations became essential to modern GPS technology.
- IB foundations (the philosophy behind the International Baccalaureate) (1948) - Marie-Thérèse Maurette. Her ideas about international-minded education and peace through learning helped shape the educational philosophy that later influenced the IB Diploma Programme.
- Apollo guidance flight software (1960s) - Margaret Hamilton. She led the team that wrote the software guiding NASA’s Apollo missions, including the successful Apollo 11 Moon landing.
- Kevlar high-strength fibre (1965) - Stephanie Kwolek. She invented Kevlar, a material five times stronger than steel by weight, used in bulletproof vests and protective equipment.
- Modern home security system / CCTV system (1966) - Marie Van Brittan Brown. She co-invented the first home CCTV security system, including cameras, monitors, and two-way communication.
- Ronald McDonald House Charity (1974) - Dr. Audrey Evans. A paediatric oncologist, renowned for her work treating and researching childhood cancers (especially neuroblastoma), she co-founded the first Ronald McDonald House Charity, providing families of sick children with a “home-away-from-home” near hospitals.
- Laserphaco probe for cataract surgery (1981) - Patricia Bath. Her invention revolutionized cataract surgery, helping restore sight to millions of patients worldwide.
- Stem cell isolation breakthrough (1991) - Ann Tsukamoto. She co-patented a method for isolating human stem cells, advancing research in cancer treatment and regenerative medicine.
- Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology (1995) - Marian Croak. Her work enabled voice communication over the internet, forming the technological basis for services such as Zoom and Teams.
- Rapid mRNA vaccine platform used for COVID-19 vaccines (2020) - Katalin Karikó. Her research enabled the development of mRNA vaccines used by companies such as Pfizer and BioNTech.
Reflections
How will you help forge a gender equal world?
How can you help to raise awareness against bias?
How can you take action for equality, beyond just International Women's Day?
We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality.
We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements.
Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.
From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.
Take a look at IWD website for additional classroom ideas and resources here.
