Moving through 2020, TV shows are becoming more and more centered around women. It is so important to have shows that display women empowerment and don’t just have a male-dominated plot. It’s important as women to have strong, female role-models to look up to on television. Here are 10 TV shows with some of the strongest female casts and role models that all women should watch.
Based on Sophia Amoruso’s novel #GIRLBOSS, it tells the story of Sophia Amoruso herself and how she started her multimillion clothing dollar business, Nasty Gal. Sophia (Britt Robertson) starts selling vintage clothing online as a way to make money, but little did she know her business begins to grow and her life begins to change. She goes from being just a rebellious 23 years old to a true businesswoman in a short matter of time. Despite living in a patriarchal world, Sophia pushes against everyone who told her she wouldn’t succeed and she thrives anyways. This show is inspiring to all women who have a dream but are afraid to pursue it. Another reason to watch this show is that it accurately portrays the ups and downs of a real friendship. Sophia becomes best friends with Annie, who she met in a short stay in jail. Although they fight, they both push each other to go after what they want in life. That’s what true friendship is all about! This show also shows that it’s okay to be in your 20s and not have an exact plan for your life yet. Sophia is bouncing from job to job before deciding to pursue her passion. Girlboss is the real-life story of how one woman turned her dream into a reality with just a lot of hard work and dedication!
Watch On: Netflix
The Bold Type was inspired by the former Editor-In-Chief of Cosmpolitan magazine, Joanna Coles. Three women work at a magazine called Scarlet in New York City. Jane, a features writer, Kat, the social media lead, and Sutton, an inspiring stylist all become best friends through the magazine. This show showcases hardworking women who are independent and well as the title suggests “bold.” The Bold Type tackles many important issues, including sexuality, women’s healthcare, and race. There are several episodes where Jane, Kat, and Sutton are all fighting some sort of social injustice. The show also displays modern feminism and how there is no one way to be a feminist. This show is so inspirational as it pushes women to make a difference in their community and push back against injustice.
Watch on: Freeform and Hulu
Liza, a 40-year-old mom in New York City wants to start working again in the publishing industry. However, being how hard it is to get a job as a 40-year-old woman, Liza pretends to be 26 and gets hired as an assistant at a publishing house. Liza teams up with Kelsey (Hillary Duff) hoping to start her dream career and that no one discovers her secret. Liza proves to everyone including viewers that older women can still work hard and accomplish their goals. Younger also includes more sexual diversity and makes a statement that sexuality is not a strict guideline but rather more fluid. Women’s sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of and the show definitely tries to emphasize that. Another thing special about this show is that it shows how women of all ages can connect. Yes, Liza may be pretending to be 26 but she still can bond with the Millenials by just being herself.
Watch on: Amazon Prime
After going through a tough breakup, Jessica Day (Zoe Deschanel) moves into an apartment with three men as roommates. Jess may be quirky, but she is also a strong feminist role model. She always stands up for herself and goes after what she wants in her career. Although she lives with just men, she always makes her voice heard. Jess is not just the girl who is the side character amongst a group of men; she is the main character. New Girl also shows the meaning of true friendship between women with the characters of Jess and Cece. They don’t have a stereotypical “catty” relationship with each other. I recommend this show to anyone who wants to see a comedy with a strong female lead.
Watch on: Netflix
Jen, who recently lost her husband in a hit and run, joins a grief support group and meets Judy. The two become inseparable friends despite Judy hiding a huge secret from Jen. This show has so many twists and turns that you’ll be hooked instantly! In Dead To Me, it portrays what happens when women are pushed too far and they decide to fight back. The stereotype of women being the “victims” is completely thrown out the window in this show. For lovers of crime and people who love to see badass women in action, I highly recommend this show.
Watch on: Netflix
The plot begins when Jane (Gina Rodriguez) becomes accidentally artificially inseminated with another man’s child. The whole show is a rollercoaster filled with loads of surprises and romances. This show demonstrates women empowerment through the relationships that Jane has with her mother and grandmother. Jane, her mother, and grandmother have a strong bond that no one can stand in the way of. Jane’s mother raises Jane as a single parent and shows that women do not need the aid of a man to get by. Although Jane becomes pregnant, she decides what she wants to do with the baby rather than relying on the opinion of a man. This just goes to show that women have full control over their bodies and what happens to it.
Watch on: Netflix
Based on the award-winning novel “Big Little Lies”, the TV show highlights three mothers who live in Monterey, California. Each woman has her own complex backstory. The series involves murder, mystery, and fractured relationships. The events that occur during the show allow the women to share a kind of sisterhood with each other. The women on the show are powerful and go after what they want. There are a ton of A-list actresses in the cast including Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and Shailene Woodley.
Watch on: Hulu
Another mystery show, Bones is about the life of Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist. She is highly skilled at reading clues from victims’ bones so she is often called in to solve various crimes. Women should watch this show because it completely deviates from the way women normally behave on television. There aren’t many television shows about female anthropologists or scientists so it can be inspiring for women who hope to go into these fields.
Watch on: Hulu
The original series began in 1998 about a group of sisters who discovers they are witches. Each sister has her own special superpower and they all work together to fight demons. The sisters have to hide their powers from the everyday world so they appear normal but in reality, they are actually the most powerful witches. Although highly fictionalized, it is still a great series to watch because it features strong, confident women who are independent and don’t need a man to look after them.
Watch on: Netflix
Taking place in the 80s, G.L.O.W. is about Ruth Wilder, an actress living in LA, who ends up entering the world of amateur women’s wrestling. The show has an almost all-female cast in a variety of different roles while also at the same time highlighting heavy subject matters like sexism. Each character finds their confidence in a different way which is what draws so many people to the show.
Watch on: Netflix
As women, we need to watch shows that inspire us and who have strong female role models. Here are just some shows that emulate women’s empowerment.
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