3 TV Shows to Watch to Boost Your Culture of Gender Equality

Pop culture is a powerful tool for normalizing societal changes and fostering everyone’s emotional commitment to progress. TV series are a compelling example when it comes to gender diversity: for the past decade or so, screenwriters have been creating strong female characters who embrace their ambitions and take on the challenge of breaking through the glass ceiling. Here are three TV series we recommend watching (or rewatching) to strengthen your culture of gender equality.

Borgen: A Woman in Power

The Danish series “ Borgen ” follows Birgitte Nyborg as she rises to power and then serves as prime minister. The series stands out for the depth of its protagonist, a character far more complex than any other powerful woman we’ve seen on screen to date. It portrays Birgitte Nyborg in all aspects of her life, both professional and personal. As the series unfolds, episode by episode, viewers join the heroine in an essential reflection on the meaning of power and the limits one must—or must not—impose on oneself to pursue policies one believes to be just.

Checkers

The 7-episode miniseries “ The Queen’s Gambit ” follows the journey of a brilliant female chess player in the deeply sexist 1960s. Inspired by the story of Nona Gaprindashvili, the series features a heroine grappling with institutional conservatism and men’s fear of being challenged on “their” turf by a woman. All of this takes place in the midst of the Cold War, which only adds fuel to the fire as minds clash over their respective approaches to tradition.

Self-made

When we think of the great pioneers of the cosmetics industry, names like Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein readily come to mind… But do we know the name of CJ Walker ? The miniseries “ Self Made ” is inspired by the autobiography of the first African American businesswoman to become a self-made millionaire. It’s a series you’ll want to binge-watch, following the adventures of a marketing queen who was also a champion of women’s rights and civil rights.