Get Your Fem Fix with These 10 Movies & Shows (Now Streaming!)

The good news: we've almost made it to spring. The bad: 'Netflix & Chill' season is coming to a close. Let's go out with a bang, shall we? The Fem Word has handpicked a list of titles from short films to television series' that chronicle badass lady protagonists and their diverse experiences across borders, history and into the dystopian future (looking at you, "Handmaids Tale").

So hit up your group chat for your friend's cousin's boyfriend's Netflix password, and get your stream on, girl!

"Period. End of Sentence" (Netflix)

In the Indian village of Hapur, some girls missed out on education because it's "that time of the month." Mothers sometimes must choose between sanitary products or family meals. And most are too embarrassed to even whisper the word "period." Their male peers believe it's a disease. Yup, in 2019.

This eye-opening, Oscar-winning short documentary from Rayka Zehtabchi chronicles pad pioneer Arunachalam Muruganantham's stigma-shattering sanitary napkin revolution and how the introduction of his simple yet revolutionary pad-making machine transforms an entire village in the pursuit of menstrual equality (equal access to menstrual hygiene products, no matter income, background, or race). Once equipped with the right tools, these empowered women take their newfound napkin business into their own hands, from production and marketing to sales and education. They are leading an economic and entrepreneurial awakening via the democratization of menstrual hygiene.

Clocking in at only 26 minutes, this is a film you simply can not miss — and makes you think twice about the unused, year-old tampons shoved at the bottom of the closet.

"Explained - The Female Orgasm" (Netflix)

This docu-series from Vox tackles culturally misunderstood topics head on, and this must-see episode in particular is breaking down the "mysterious" female "O."

Featuring perfectly-balanced perspectives ranging academic to cheeky. The experts — including professors of feminist studies and psychology, sexologist and G-spot architect Beverly Whipple, and resident orgasm-detective behind the How Cum podcast Remy Kassimir — serve it to us straight, breaking down female anatomy and diving in deep to identify why the hell women put themselves on the back burner when it comes to sex.

As the Netflix description goes, "The female orgasm is more elusive when a man is involved. Discover the reasons why and how women are taking it into their own hands." Literally.

"RBG" (Hulu)

Check out Hulu's oh-so-timely "Feminist Icon" channel (in celebration of Women's History Month), and scroll no further than "RBG." This Academy Award-nominated documentary provides an intimate portrayal of the the inimitable Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, taking us through her early legal battles (aka — what we should have been learning in history class) in a climate in which her peers didn't believe gender discrimination existed. The film makes it clear: this badass changed the world as we know it today, and continues to fight for gender equality at the young, spritely age of 85.

As if we needed another reason to stan the "Notorious RBG."

"Woman" (Hulu)

"At the intersection of violence and stability, of progress and oppression, are women."

Feminist writer, activist, and icon Gloria Steinem guides us through an intimate, introspective look at women around the world who are shaping their futures in the face of unimaginable adversity. Topics explored include child brides in Zambia, "femicide" in El Salvador, and even how women in the United States military are combating sexual assault on our own soil.

Discover their powerful stories, hear their voices, and welcome the wave of positive change.

"Iliza - Confirmed Kills" (Netflix)

"Let's make a pact" says comedian Iliza Shelsinger in her 2016 Netflix stand up comedy special. "I don't want to hear any more women say they want to be mermaids." *Praise hands emoji*

In "Confirmed Kills," Shelsinger deftly weaves humor with quintessential comedic #wokeness to highlight the real fight for feminism, call out double standards in sexual harassment, and even make us cringe at our own culpability (for example, referring to everyone and everything as "cute"). Wave your feminist flag high while laughing at how we're all (hopefully) still learning, growing, and trying to understand each other.

"The Handmaid's Tale" (Hulu)

Women treated as second class citizens. Basic freedoms under fire. Zero rights or say to our own bodies. Sounds like a perfect night in, right?

Based off of the Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel of the same name, this Emmy-winning series speculates what can happen when corruption runs rampant and there is no separation to be seen between church and state. If it all sounds a bit too familiar, we agree... but we'll be the first to say this series may be part of the wake-up call society needs.

A word of caution, "The Handmaid's Tale" is brutal. nothing is sugar-coated, and there are issues the show is confronting with regards to representation of women of color. But that doesn't discount its importance as an artistic and political statement about women are "our place" in this world.

"Becoming Jane" (Netflix)

Literary tension is the new sexual tension in this cinematic interpretation of the early life of legendary 18th-century English novelist Jane Austen. Best known for her nuanced social commentaries on the British gentry, women's roles in society, and general sensibility through irony, realism, and humor, actress Anne Hathaway plays a young Austen on the cusp of doing the unthinkable in 1795: marrying for love.

Just take this bit of dialogue from the film...

Tom Lefroy: I am yours. Heart and soul, I am yours. Much good that is.

Jane Austen: I will decide that.

Tell 'em, Jane!

"A Girl in The River" (HBO)

A young Pakistani woman marries for love, only to become the victim of a murderous plot carried out by her father and uncle in retaliation. Thankfully, their plan fails, and our hero lives to recount her tale and, ultimately, forgive her attackers.

With a plot that reads like fiction, this 2016 Academy Award winner for Best Documentary (Short Subject) tells the gut-wrenching true story of an attempted honor killing perpetrated by a woman's own bloodline, and provides a firsthand account into the contradictory intersection of modernism and tradition in Pakistani society, with women paying the ultimate price for the resulting dissonance.

The film, directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, challenges the viewer to put yourself in her shoes and asks, "could you ever forgive?"

"Harlots" (Hulu)

It's the battle of the brothels... Set against the backdrop of Georgian London and boasting a plot that follows ruthless arch-rival brothels, "Harlots" is being hailed by critics as "the most feminist show on TV."

The female-led cast of this Hulu original series is part of the sexually rampant Georgian period, which preceded the repressed Victorian era. They embrace their sexuality and use their femininity, wits, and wiles to grab power — both in and outside of the bedroom — despite gender inequality and a general disrespect for women.

We also love the show's positive depiction of sex work as what it is: real work. It's a modern view, but one that is fitting both for "Harlots" and our current cultural climate. Plus, it's inspired by stories of real women and refocuses the "family drama" genre from the perspective.

"2 Dope Queens" (HBO)

Taking their hit podcast to the screen, co-hosts Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams serve as loudspeakers for the importance of black women’s voices in this undeniably hilarious comedy series. The fierce duo tackles topics of sex, romance, race, hair, and even living in New York City through the lens of the divine black feminine, all while welcoming a diverse line-up of comedians and other guests that have our sides splitting from laughter.

BREAKING: 4 new episodes just hit HBO this past February... and they feature guests Lupita Nyong'o, Daniel Radcliffe, Janet Mock, Lizzo, and Keegan-Michael Key... we're hooked!

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