It’s that time of the year again to honor all women and their achievements—which, let’s be honest, should be a year round thing anyways—no matter her sexuality, race, or social standing. Now, if your version of celebrating International Women’s Month is by feeding your mind with inspiring, female-centric TV shows, then we’ve got you covered.
Below, we list down 10 empowering and diverse TV series on Netflix that are perfect for binge-watching this special month of March.
1. The Queen’s Gambit
Based on a novel by Walter Tevis, this coming-of-age drama follows the young and orphaned Beth Harmon. Though considered a social outcast, she unexpectedly discovers her astonishing talent for chess and sets out to become an impressively skilled and glamorous player determined to conquer the male-dominated field.
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Bill Camp
2. Pose
Chronicling the ball culture in 1987 New York, Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista, a trans woman of color living with AIDS, establishes her own house and hones the talents of a gifted dancer and sex worker. The 2018 series premiered to overwhelming positive reviews for being "an engaging portrait of dark days met with merriment.” Richard Lawson for Vanity Fair continues, “Pain and perseverance are sewn together to create something humble yet fabulous—and, it should be shouted over all the show's loud and glorious clamor, very much long overdue."
3. One Day at a Time
Centering on a Cuban-American family, the Alvarez clan make their way through the trials and tribulations of life with a whole lot of heart, love, and just the right amount of comedic timing to get them through the day. The women of this family are all fiercely inspiring in their own ways, too, from their sassy yet compassionate matriarch Lydia, to the army veteran and protective mother of the house Penelope, to the progressive, out and proud lesbian teen Elena.
Starring: Justina Machado, Isabella Gomez, Rita Moreano, Marcel Ruiz
4. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Forced to submit herself to the Dark Lord on her 16th birthday, an unwilling Sabrina Spellman, who just so happens to be half-human and half-witch, takes matters into her own hands. Throughout this supernatural horror series, this feisty teen shakes up the status quo and goes up against ghouls and demons of every kind, in a bid to maintain her relations in the human world, all while ascending the ranks of the magical realm.
Starring: Kiernan Shipka, Ross Lynch, Lucy Davis, Miranda Otto
5. Self Made
Based on the true story of Madam C.J. Walker, Self Made chronicles the pioneer’s rise from poverty to establish a beauty empire that leads her to becoming the first-ever self-made female millionaire in America.
Starring: Octavia Spencer, Tiffany Haddish, Carmen Ejogo
6. The Bold Type
In this riveting comedy-drama series, three best friends working at a famous women’s magazine navigate through the ups and downs of their varying careers, relationships, and love lives, all while keeping their unbreakable bond in tact. Though it maintains a lighthearted tone for the most part, The Bold Type isn’t afraid to tackle important topics including gender discrimination, racial biases, sexuality, gun violence, and domestic abuse, just to name a few. Plus, you'll meet the best boss in the inspirational Jacqueline Carlyle, Scarlet magazine's editor-in-chief and everyone's resident mentor.
Starring: Katie Stevens, Aisha Dee, Meghann Fahy, Melora Hardin
7. Sex Education
Much like The Bold Type, Sex Education isn’t afraid to get into the nitty-gritty of sensitive issues. It follows an awkward teen, Otis Milburn, who teams up with resident rebel and social outcast, Maeve Wiley, as they secretly run a lucrative sex advice business in their school. The show’s episode about sexual assault in its second season produced one of the most moving and talked about women empowerment scenes in a teen drama in recent years. If you don't know what we're talking about, then it's high time you get started on the show, ASAP.
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa
8. Cable Girls
In 1928 Madrid, four women working at a newly opened telecommunications company find decent pay, freedom, and independence in their work place, which eventually propels them to fight towards gaining equal rights with men.
Starring: Blanca Suárez, Ana Fernández, Nadia de Santiago
9. Glow
Set in 1985 Los Angeles, a crew of misfit hopefuls looking for a fresh career start audition for GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling), an up-and-coming professional wrestling promotion for women. Amidst the drama, glamour, and, well, wrestling of it all, is a story that builds on the importance of female friendships.
Starring: Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, Sydelle Noel
10. Unbelievable
If an evocative drama is more your speed, then you might want to consider the Netflix Original limited series Unbelievable. Based on true events, it tells the story of Marie, a traumatized teenager accused of lying about having been raped. In the face of her predicament, two female detectives stop at nothing to uncover the truth behind Marie’s case, and that of countless other victims who were all sexually abused in an eerily similar manner.
Starring: Kaitlyn Dever, Toni Collette, Merritt Wever
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