1. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
This Netflix original has three seasons, and is slated for a fourth next year. Kimmy is a 30 year old living in New York city, trying to leave her past behind; her past being the fifteen years she was held in a bunker by a cult leader. She leaves her small town home of Durnsville, Indiana to find herself in a new society. With refreshing humor, this show explores Kimmy’s life, and the lives of other woman she encounters. Kimmy champions the idea that women can be anything. For this show, a lyric from the theme song says it all- “females are strong as hell.”
2. Marvel’s Jessica Jones
With its gritty and dark storytelling, this Netflix adaptation of a Marvel character is an atypical series for an atypical female superhero. Jessica Jones has super strength, a vendetta, and a bad attitude. She is the furthest possible from a damsel in distress, a role that is so prevalent in many superhero shows. Jessica Jones is a survivor of sexual assault, and the first season of the show depicts her coming to terms with her past while solidifying her future as a protector of her city. Though the show only has one season so far, you can see more of Jessica in Marvel’s The Defenders, and in season two of the show next year.
3. Parks and Recreation
This lighthearted-comedy has it all: friends, work, and waffles. Leslie Knope is a long time government employee, and the seven seasons of the show go through her ascension in the government in mockumentary style. The cast has a diverse range of female characters, all of whom have their own interests and aspirations. Leslie is a champion of women’s rights, even hosting a “Galentine’s Day” party on February 13th each year to celebrate female friendship. The final season aired in 2015, but the comedy is fresh and topical even now.
4. Girl Boss
Inspired by the memoir of Nasty Gal CEO and creator Sophia Amoruso, this short-lived Netflix series documents the process of creating a successful internet company from the ground up. Sophia is a headstrong young woman with an interest in vintage fashion, and that interest takes her far. She almost gives up her dream of turning her popular Ebay store into a real company, but through the strength of her friends and family she kept going. Though it is sadly not returning for a second season, this show is an inspiring watch.
5. Jane the Virgin
Three generations of Villanueva women learn to love themselves and others in this heartwarming drama done in telenovela style. Jane is a 23 year old woman who struggles to express herself romantically, until she is accidentally artificially inseminated. This comedy follows Jane; Xiomara, her mother; and Alba, her grandmother as they struggle with this sudden change in Jane’s life. The Villanueva women are each strong and empowering characters, but they are strongest together. With three seasons and counting, this show is not one that you want to miss.