Books to read and movies to watch to honour Women’s History Month.

Books and movies are a great way to become more aware about a certain topic. They allow us to open our eyes to a certain individual’s story and broaden our perspectives on many issues. In honour of Women’s History Month, there are many books and movies you can watch to learn about the contributions of women throughout history and their stories. Let’s dive right into some books you can read about Women’s History.

BOOKS

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Written by American Novelist Louisa May Alcott, Little Women narrates the tale of four sisters ⎯ grown-up Meg, tomboyish Jo, timid Beth, and talented Amy. The March sisters live with their mother while their father serves in the army during the American Civil War. The sisters face their own struggles, but ultimately, race for success together.

Little Women also inspired numerous movies, including the 1933 classic, a 1994 film directed by Gillian Armstrong and widely acclaimed adaptation in 2019 by director-screenwriter Greta Gerwig.

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

In light of Sheryl Sandberg's (COO of Facebook) 2010 TEDTalk on the ways in which women are held back, and the manner in which we hold ourselves back, viewers all over the planet shared their own accounts of struggles and achievements. This mind-boggling response inspired Sheryl to write Lean In.

In Lean In, she shares her personal accounts, uses research to focus on distinctions in gender opportunities, and offers advice to assist women with accomplishing their goals. The book challenges us to change the narrative from what women can't do to what they can, and encourages people to work in unity to make a more equitable world.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Becoming is an autobiography detailing the highs and lows of Michelle Obama's incredible journey from humble beginnings in the less glamorous South Side of Chicago, to the grandeur of the White House and life as America's first African-American First Lady. It is not meant as an overt leadership text, but her memoirs are packed with parallels for leading in everyday situations and not just for those in assigned leadership roles (becomingmichelleobama.com).

The book is divided into three sections, Becoming Me, Becoming Us and Becoming More. Becoming was the highest-selling book published in the United States in 2018, setting the record 15 days after its publication, with over two million copies sold.

Other books:

• Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

MOVIES

A League of Their Own

This 1992 film tells a fictional story of the real-life first female professional baseball league during the second World War. When World War II threatens to bring Major League Baseball to a halt, Chicago Cubs owner Walter Harvey persuades his fellow owners to fund a women's league. Dottie and Kit, two competitive sisters, are chosen to play in the first female league, the Rockford Peaches.

A League Of Their Own is a unique take on the sports film genre, which is often dominated by male sports teams. The film tackles sexism in athletics and in everyday life, as well as concerns revolving around women in sports that are still an important topic today.

Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures relates the story of a group of female African-American mathematicians who were instrumental in the early years of NASA's space programme. The film, directed by Theodore Melfi, is largely based on Margot Lee Shetterly's 2016 non-fiction book of the same name. The true story of scientists and mathematicians Katherine Goble Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, served as the brains behind one of history's greatest operations: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation's confidence, turned around the Space Race, and shocked the world.

This film is an excellent example of bringing to light previously unrecognised women in history, as well as their obstacles at the time, not only as women, but also as Black women who were discriminated against due to racism.

Mulan

A 1998 animated film, Mulan tells the story of a young girl who disguises herself as a man so she can take her father’s place as a warrior, fighting off the Rouran army.

Mulan brought us one of the first Disney princesses who did more than just fall in love with her prince. Mulan went to war to save her father and with her determination, strength, and intelligence, managed to save all of China along the way.

In 2020, a live-action version of the 1998 animated film was produced.

Other Movies:

• Little Women

• Soul Surfer

• Suffragette