8 TV Shows to Stream to Feel Empowered on International Women’s Day
It’s International Women’s Day, which means it’s time to celebrate all the badass women in your life — even the fictional ones!
From The Bold Type with its ever-supportive trio to I Am Not Okay With This and Sex Education featuring teens dealing with family, school and life, the series in the gallery above have leading ladies who portray funny, intelligent, independent and endlessly real characters.
Get ready to laugh, cry, and above all, feel empowered to forge your own path in life with these inspirational shows, streaming now.
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Zoey (Yara Shahidi)
Away from her parents with newfound freedom, Zoey is tackling life as a college woman head on. Entering adulthood is a lot harder than it looks, but Zoey embraces the learning curve with style. She’s got big dreams and talent to boot — and she won’t stop until she has it all.
Where to stream: Hulu
Gilmore Girls
Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel)
Single mother Lorelai and her daughter Rory serve as each other’s constant companions through it all. Through school, jobs, boyfriends, and whatever else life throws at them, the pair lean on each other in good times and in bad. The honesty, loyalty, and love at the heart of this mother-daughter bond is bound to pull at your heartstrings.
Where to stream: Netflix
Shrill
Annie (Aidy Bryant)
After accidentally getting pregnant when her morning after pill fails, Annie is determined to make some life changes. She is proud of who she is, but the world around her hasn’t quite caught up yet. From work to romance to helping out with her sick dad, Annie has a lot on her plate, but she slowly learns to stand up for herself like the badass she knows she is inside.
Where to stream: Hulu
I Am Not Okay With This
Syd (Sophia Lillis)
Puberty is the time when young women’s self confidence is often already at an all time low. Take the normal struggles with hormones and schoolwork and add on the difficulties that come with the death of Syd’s father. Oh, wait — don’t forget about her superpowers! Syd keeps it irreverently real in the form of her diary entry voice-overs as she navigates the bumpy road of teenage self discovery.
Where to stream: Netflix
The Bold Type
Kat (Aisha Dee), Sutton (Meghann Fahy), and Jane (Katie Stevens)
If you’re looking for badass millennial women, The Bold Type gives you a 3-for-1 deal! Together, Kat, Sutton, and Jane navigate all of the ups and downs that millenial life in NYC brings. Juggling their jobs, romantic partners, family, and health, these three ladies are fiercely supportive of each other, no matter how tough things get.
Where to stream: Hulu
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Midge (Rachel Brosnahan)
Funny, charismatic, and brave, Midge has all the makings of a successful stand up comedian. Refusing to adhere to the taboos of the ’50s, she trailblazes the New York comedy scene. From her cheating ex-husband to 1950s obscenity laws, nothing can bring Midge down.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video
Sex Education
Maeve (Emma Mackey)
Maeve Wiley may only be in high school, but what she lacks in age, she makes up for in experience and intelligence. Despite her difficult home life, Maeve continues to be a source of support for her classmates, helping them work through their most personal issues rather than shaming them. She is unashamed of her sexual desires and owns her own body, and she encourages others to do the same.
Where to stream: Netflix
Jane the Virgin
Jane (Gina Rodriguez)
Being a young mother while juggling grad school, jobs, and relationships is never easy, but Jane is always up for the challenge. No matter what life throws at her, she is always ready to give it her best shot. Intelligent, independent, and empowered, Jane forges her own path in life with her son Mateo at her side.
Where to stream: Netflix
