Throughout the course of history, women have always created waves, pushing boundaries to be seen and heard. During the month of March, WORLD Channel shines a light on the extraordinary icons who have paved the way for those who would follow, and the everyday women who embody immeasurable strength in smaller yet equally powerful ways.
Today, women around the world are collectively working for gender equality in education, the workplace, healthcare, politics and so much more. In For the Love of Rutland, a long-time resident of a small-town in Vermont, defends an influx of Syrian refugees; Fannie Lou Hamer’s America is the story of one of America’s most influential but often misremembered Black women leaders as she uplifts her divested and underrepresented Mississippi community; and a singer-songwriter from Mexico chooses to stand up to others while fighting for her own citizenship in Dear Homeland.
Women from all walks of life may continue to encounter systems and institutions that work against them, but they prove time and again that their perspectives not only matter, but forge lasting change.
WATCH LIVE
For the Love of Rutland | America ReFramed
March 3 on TV, online & on the PBS app
An attempt to bring Syrian refugees to invigorate the economically struggling and overwhelmingly white town of Rutland, Vermont unleashes deep partisan rancor. Despite a lifetime of feeling invalidated and shamed for her poverty and addiction, long-time Rutland resident Stacie emerges as an unexpected and resilient leader in a town divided by class, cultural values, and divisive politics.
She Persisted | Stories From the Stage
March 7 on TV | Available online & on Facebook, YouTube & the PBS app
Through the whispers of doubt, nevertheless, they persisted. In Afghanistan, Mahboba Akhtarzadah journeys to her classroom against all odds; Crystal Williams climbs the ladder of higher education, aided by some secret admirers; and Joan Anderman learns that it’s never too late to radically change her life.
Sisters Rising | America ReFramed
March 10 on TV | Available online & on the PBS app through March 25
Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault than all other American women, and 86% of the offenses are committed by non-Native men. Follow six women who refuse to let this pattern of violence continue in the shadows as their stories shine an unflinching light on righting injustice on both an individual and systemic level.
Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir
March 19 on TV | Available on PBS Passport
The story of the author whose first novel, “The Joy Luck Club,” was published to commercial and critical success. With the blockbuster film adaption that followed as well as additional best-selling novels, short stories, and memoirs, Amy Tan firmly established herself as one of the most prominent and respected American literary voices working today. Watch an exclusive interview with the writer herself.
9to5: The Story of a Movement | Independent Lens
March 21 on TV | Available on PBS Passport
When Dolly Parton sang “9 to 5,” she was singing about a real movement that started with a group of secretaries in the '70s. Their goals were simple: better pay, more advancement opportunities, and an end to sexual harassment. The fight that inspired a hit would change the American workplace forever. Watch a Meet the Makers panel with filmmaker Julia Reichert, Ellen Cassedy, Janet Selcer, Dorine Levasseur and Darlene Lombos, moderated by Tina M. McDuffie.
Bring Her Home
March 23 on TV
Three Indigenous women – an artist, an activist, and a politician – fight to vindicate and honor their missing and murdered relatives who have fallen victim to a growing epidemic across Indian country. Despite lasting effects from historical trauma, each woman must search for healing while navigating racist systems that brought about this crisis.
Finding Kukan | America ReFramed
March 24 on TV | Available online & on the PBS app through April 8
Filmmaker Robin Lung documents her seven-year journey to uncover the efforts of Li Ling-Ai, the visionary but uncredited producer of the Academy Award®-winning documentary 'Kukan.' Watch a portrait of the pioneer that sheds light on the long-standing underrepresentation of women and people of color in the movie-making business.
Dear Homeland
March 27 on TV | Available on YouTube
'Dear Homeland' follows Mexican artist Diana Gameros’ immigration journey from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico to San Francisco, CA. As she grows through her music into an advocate for immigrant rights, Diana finds the courage to share her own story of being undocumented. Dear Homeland is a deep reflection on family, resilience, the power of music and the meaning of home.
WATCH ONLINE
Fannie Lou Hamer's America | America ReFramed
Watch on PBS Passport
Explore and celebrate the life of a Mississippi sharecropper-turned-human-rights-activist and one of the Civil Rights Movement’s greatest leaders. Through audio recordings and archival video footage of her speeches, songs, and impassioned pleas for equal rights, Fannie Lou Hamer tells her extraordinary story in her own words. Watch a Meet the Makers panel with filmmakers Monica Land and Joy Davenport, actress Aunjanue Ellis, and historian Dr. Keisha N. Blain.
For Our Girls | The Conversation Remix
Available online & on YouTube
Exploring the stigmas Black girls face as they grow up within and outside their community. A love letter to Black daughters, mothers share their concerns with how they are shaping and impacting their daughters’ independence. Watch more from The Conversation Remix.
Metcalfe Park: Black Vote Rising | Local, USA
Available online & on YouTube and the PBS app through March 31
Mother and daughter Danell Cross and Melody McCurtis organize their Black Milwaukee community to prepare for the 2020 presidential election and its challenges: reduced polling stations, disinformation, and the pandemic. Canvassing door-to-door to reach residents, they deliver voting instructions with food and COVID-19 kits to convince neighbors, whose faith has been tested by the system, to vote.
Mama Gloria | AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange
Available on YouTube
Gloria Allen, a 75-year-old Black trailblazing transgender activist who started a charm school for homeless trans youth, is now aging with joy and grace. The film is the story of a mother’s love – the love that Gloria’s mother had for her and the love that Gloria has for her chosen children. And it is driven by the love that director Luchina Fisher has for her teenage transgender daughter, Gia.
WHY SLAVERY? A Woman Captured | Doc World
Available on YouTube
For 10 years, Marish has been kept as a housekeeper by a Hungarian woman. She toils unpaid, and is subjected to relentless abuse. Witness a woman who has lost sight of her own life, but also her hope to live as a free person. Watch the whole series, WHY SLAVERY?.
Busy Inside | America ReFramed
Available online & on the PBS app March 17 through April 2
Through personal stories, BUSY INSIDE delves deeply into Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) – formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder. A respected therapist specializing in the condition's treatment, and her patients, confront past trauma and embrace their different personalities.
Discuss and engage with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by using the hashtags #WomensHistoryMonth and #HerStory and tagging us @worldchannel. Subscribe to our newsletter and YouTube for more features including events and interviews.
Enjoy our content? Consider donating to keep important storytelling like this going, and find more on PBS Passport.
