FP Pop Quiz: How Much Do You Know About International Women’s Day and Gender Equity in the Workplace?

People around the globe will celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 – which also happens to fall during Women’s History Month in the United States and a few other countries. As we take the time to honor women in history, leadership, the workplace, and our personal lives, we thought it would be fun to test our knowledge on the subject. Take our quiz to see how much you know about IWD and gender equity in the workplace.

1. 📢 What is the campaign theme of International Women's Day 2025?

a. Inspire Inclusion

b. Embrace Equity

c. Accelerate Action

d. Break the Bias

2. 📅 What is the significance of March 8 for International Women’s Day?

a. The first organized strike by women workers happened on March 8, 1857, in New York City

b. Women in Russia organized a strike on March 8, 1917, for “bread and peace” during World War I

c. Women in needle trades marched through NYC on March 8, 1908, to protest child labor and sweatshop working conditions and fight for women's suffrage

d. All of the above

3. 🌍 International Women’s Day was first officially celebrated in which countries?

a. United States and Canada

b. Argentina, Brazil, and Chile

c. Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland 

d. Japan and South Korea

4. 📝 The purpose of IWD is to:

a. Honor the achievements of women

b. Promote the rights of women around the world

c. Create awareness about pay disparities and workplace inequities

d. All of the above

5. 💲 True or False: In the U.S., a federal pay transparency law requires employers to include salary ranges in job advertisements?

a. True

b. False

6. ⚖ Which federal law in the U.S. prohibits workplace discrimination based on sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity)?

a. Fair Labor Standards Act

b. National Labor Relations Act

c. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

d. Occupational Safety and Health Act

7. 💰 The Equal Pay Act requires employers to:

a. Pay men and women exactly the same rate when performing roles with the same job title

b. Eliminate sex-based wage discrimination for workers who perform jobs that require substantially equal skill, effort, and responsibility under similar working conditions

c. Pay everyone the same with no exceptions

d. Reduce men’s pay if it is greater than women’s pay for substantially similar work

8. 📈 True or False: Women in the workplace have finally achieved pay equity, receiving equal pay as men for equal work.

a. True

b. False

9. 👩‍👧‍👦 True or False: Women tend to shoulder more caregiver duties – including both childcare and elder care responsibilities – which can contribute to the gender pay gap in the workplace.

a. True

b. False

10. 🙌 How can employers support women in the workplace and help ensure equity among all workers?

a. Prioritize equal pay

b. Offer flexible work arrangements 

c. Provide leadership training and development 

d. All of the above and more

Scroll down to find the answer key…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check Your Answers and Learn More

1. 📢 [c] From the International Women’s Day website: “At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity,” according to data from the World Economic Forum. “Focusing on the need to Accelerate Action emphasizes the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality.” The other options were campaign themes from prior years.

2. 📅 [d] All of these events occurred on March 8 in different years, and the United Nations began celebrating IWD on March 8, 1975. You can learn more about key events impacting IWD here.

3. 🌍 [c] Although IWD is now celebrated on March 8, it was first officially celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland on March 19, 1911. A major focus was on women’s right to vote and work, and according to Encyclopedia Britannica, more than a million women and men attended rallies.

4. 📝 [d] IWD has many purposed including the ones listed. You can read more about its history and purpose here.

5. 💲[b] Although federal law requires equal pay for equal work, there is no federal pay transparency law. You should note, however, that many states have passed or considered such laws. Their goal is to promote pay equity and stop perpetuating pay gaps, but these laws also create compliance challenges for employers, which means employers should have a pay transparency action plan. You can read all about this growing state law trend here.

6. ⚖ [c] Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

7. 💰 [b] “The jobs need not be identical, but they must be substantially equal. Job content (not job titles) determines whether jobs are substantially equal,” according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). “If there is an inequality in wages between men and women, employers may not reduce the wages of either sex to equalize their pay.” There are some exceptions, including for certain seniority, merit, and production systems, as well as for differentials based on a factor other than sex. Notably, every state also has its own equal pay law that employers should review when applicable.

8. 📈 [b] Equal Pay Day this year is March 25, which marks how far into the new year women have to work to earn what men did the prior year. The date is further into the year for certain communities of women, including women of color and disabled working women. Women who worked full-time in 2023 earned 83% of what men did, according to advocacy group AAUW. Latina and Native American women who worked full time earned 58 cents for every dollar a white, non-Hispanic man earned, according to AAUW calculations, and Black women earned 66 cents. Disabled working women (full-time and part-time combined) earned 72 cents for every dollar paid to disabled men in 2023.

9. 👩‍👧‍👦 [a] One recent study shows that women are responsible for nearly 75% of unpaid care work, which has a negative impact on their ability to participate in the paid workforce. Another study reveals that 57% to 81% of all caregivers of the elderly worldwide are women. Yet another says women are more than four times as likely as men to miss work due to childcare responsibilities. At the same time, employers should recognize that men take on caregiver responsibilities, too, and should think of ways to create supportive and equitable policies for all employees. Read our Insight here on supporting employees in the sandwich generation who have both childcare and elder care responsibilities. 

10. 🙌 [d] IWD is a powerful reminder to celebrate the achievements and contributions of women, even as we acknowledge the growth that is still needed to achieve gender parity. The celebration on March 8 reminds employers to focus on building a fair workplace where employees of all backgrounds can thrive.

Conclusion

Contact your Fisher Phillips attorney or the authors of this Insight to brainstorm and carry out effective strategies to create fair and legally compliant programs for all workers to succeed. We will continue to monitor developments and provide updates on this and other workplace issues, so make sure you are subscribed to Fisher Phillips’ Insight System to gather the most up-to-date information.