International Women’s Day was conceived way back in 1910 as a means of promoting equal rights
Avengers and Black Panther unite in new image from Infinity War
But in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal it may be the most relevant yet to Hollywood.
Indeed, in recent months Tinseltown has been forced to confront the fact that it’s still a breeding ground for misogyny, institutional sexism and all-round gender inequality.
However, from Ava DuVernay to Tig Notaro, there are a whole host of names both in front of and behind the camera helping to break down the ‘old boys club’ mentality that has plagued the entertainment industry since its inception.
Here are ten films and shows currently available to stream on Netflix which are perfect for celebrating the March 8 holiday.
Selma
Unarguably one of the most vital filmmakers of her generation, Ava DuVernay made history in 2014 when she became the first ever African-American woman to direct a Best Picture Academy Award nominated movie.
You can watch her emotion-stirring biopic of the 1965 voting rights marches against racial injustice, Selma, on Netflix, as well as her equally powerful exploration of racial tensions in the Oscar nominated documentary 13th.
Zero Dark Thirty
Kathryn Bigelow made headlines in 2010 when she beat her ex-husband James Cameron to the Best Director Oscar, making her the first ever – and sadly still only – woman to pick up the accolade.
The film in question, The Hurt Locker, isn’t currently available on Netflix.
But you can still admire her talent for dramatising modern military history with Zero Dark Thirty, which explores the decade-long quest to find Osama bin Laden in the wake of 9/11.
Mistress America
Some believe that Greta Gerwig should be joining Bigelow on that extremely exclusive list this year with her directorial debut, Lady Bird.
Still showing in cinemas, the Saoirse Ronan-starring dramedy, unsurprisingly, isn’t yet on Netflix.
But you can enjoy watching Gerwig in front of the camera as the star of Mistress America, one of several low-key dramas which have established her and its director, Noah Baumbach, as this decade’s ultimate indie darlings.
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Karyn Kusama (The Invitation), Roxanne Benjamin (Southbound), former horror magazine editor Jovanka Vuckovic and art-rock musician St Vincent all serve as directors in this horror anthology, with each short also featuring a female protagonist.
The latter’s contribution is a promising black comedy based around the children’s birthday party from hell, but it’s Benjamin’s stoner slasher, Don’t Fall, which provides the biggest scares.
Lady Dynamite
Of course, it’s not just on the big screen where women are bossing it.
Co-created by South Park regular Pam Brady, Lady Dynamite is an idiosyncratic comedy loosely based on the life of star Maria Bamford which combines surreal flights of fancy and showbiz satire with achingly raw depictions of depression.
Kung Fu Panda 2
The 2011 second outing for everyone’s favourite ursine martial arts master may seem like a strange choice for this list.
But Kung Fu Panda 2 was in fact the first, and still only, time that a woman, namely Jennifer Yuh Nelson, has been given the job of directing a major studio animation.
Bridesmaids
One of the most influential comedies of the decade so far, Bridesmaids proved once and for all that films dismissed as ‘chick flicks’ could be just as funny, if not funnier, than anything driven entirely by men.
Not only did it spawn a wave of ‘women gone bad’ movies (Rough Night, Bad Moms, Girls Trip etc), but it also surpassed the male-centric Knocked Up and Superbad to become the highest-grossing Judd Apatow production to date.
Tig
Few comedians have proved to be as inspiring, or as open, as Canadian Tig Notaro.
This candid documentary focuses on the year in which she became a viral sensation, a turbulent period in which she also battled with breast cancer, forged a new relationship and lost her mother.
Julie & Julia
You get two pioneering Hollywood women for one in this 2009 part-biopic of famous US chef Julia Childs.
Not only does it star Meryl Streep, the record-breaking 21-time Oscar nominee widely regarded as the greatest actress of all time, but it’s also directed by the late Nora Ephron, whose films have grossed a whopping worldwide total of $575m.
Mona Lisa Smile
The recent disparity between Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams’ fees for All the Money In The World proved that there’s still a significant gender pay gap in Hollywood.
But there have been a few actresses over the years who’ve been able to command just as much as their high-profile male counterparts. In 2003 Julia Roberts was reportedly given a cool $25m for appearing in this boarding school drama, which remains a record for an actress to this day.
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