The start of March marks the beginning of Women’s History Month (WHM), a time to celebrate women’s achievements and contributions to society. WHM is all about promoting equality and representation, and a great place to find this is in the media. Books, movies, music, and TV shows house great sources of strong female representation. If you’re someone like me who loves a good girl boss show, then read on to find some great show recommendations to watch this month or any month!
- Dickinson
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This fast-paced, comedic show follows the life of Emily Dickinson and her poem-writing aspirations. She is not a typical female of the time, as she doesn’t care about finding a suitor and ignores doing her household chores. The show focuses a lot on gender roles. This is exemplified when Emily leaves her poems anonymous and even dresses up as a man to be allowed to attend an event. If you’re someone like me who’s not huge into history, this show is still enjoyable because it incorporates modern music, language, and references (which make the historical bits more easily understandable).
- The Wilds
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After a plane with nine girls crashes on a deserted island, the group must work together to survive and try to make it back to civilization. The girls all come from contrasting backgrounds and can’t relate to one another easily. Throughout the show, they work to sort out their differences and ensure their survival. Every character has a complex backstory that enriches their personalities and identities and makes the story so much more compelling.
- The Queen’s Gambit
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This limited series is wildly popular for a reason: It’s simply amazing. The story takes place in the 1950s and 1960s and follows the life of Beth Harmon, a chess prodigy. She spends her childhood in an orphanage, and when she finally does get adopted, things don’t improve much. Harmon deals with sexism due to chess being known as a “man’s game” at the time, but she rises above and is very successful in doing so. She acts and dresses differently from other girls, but that’s what makes her so interesting.
- Killing Eve
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Created by the iconic Phoebe Waller-Bridge, this show does a great job of capturing the female gaze in its own twisted way. It follows a British intelligence investigator on her journey to find a highly skilled female assassin. This show has the plot of a traditionally “male” show, but it’s made by women and for women. The “antagonist,” although a psychopathic murderer, is hard to dislike with her witty comments, expensive style, and volatile personality. The show does a great job portraying complex women and has much diversity and representation.
- Firefly Lane
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This show spans many generations and is centered around female friendship. It follows the lives of two best friends, starting at age 14 and following them through multiple decades to cover their forties. Together, they deal with gender inequality in their careers, divorce, miscarriages, sexual assault, motherhood struggles, and more. At its core, the show is all about the beauty of growing up and maintaining a deep, lifelong friendship.
This list only scratches the surface of all the great media out there that portrays women in a positive light. This month, and every month, we celebrate our accomplishments as a whole and acknowledge how far we’ve come and how far we’ll go. So, if you’re ready to feel empowered this Women’s History Month, grab the remote and get binging!
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