Throughout history, women in film have traditionally played the damsel in distress, but now women are dominating the big screen as warriors, superheros, and a force to be reckoned with. This Women’s History Month, we want to celebrate the strong females leads that challenge the status quo and inspire women to be strong, confident, and independent. Nakia, Shuri, and Okoye, the powerful women in Black Panther, are all great examples of strong female characters that break gender stereotypes.

Black Panther (2018)

The Wakandan women in Black Panther are the definition of fierce! Nakia, Shuri, and Okoye are tough and opinionated women warriors who give hell to anyone that gets in their way. Okoye (Danai Gurira), the fearsome leader of the kingdom guards called the Dora Milaje, and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), a spy passionate for justice and humanitarianism, fight together to defend their country and lead political debate. Of course, they would have not been successful without the help of Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) who undoubtedly has genius level intellect. She is behind every mind-blowing invention in Wakanda including the Black Panther’s super suit.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

The empowering intergalactic women from Star Wars are a force to be reckoned with! The Last Jedi presents strong female icons such as Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) that fight for the resistance against the The First Order. Rey is the first female lead in Star Wars. As a Jedi, Rey evokes determination and persistence. She proves herself against Kylo Ren, the son of Han Solo and Leia, as she develops her newly discovered abilities. Although her son has been consumed by the dark force, our favorite princess leads the resistance as General Leia. These forceful women not only save the galaxy from the Death Star, they also inspire women everywhere.

Wonder Woman (2017)

Wonder Woman is the superhero that all women need! Because she embodies female strength and ability, the Amazonian warrior, played by Gal Gadot, has always been seen as a feminist character. Not only is she capable of incredible feats of strength, but she also engages in tough combat alongside Superman, Batman, and Aquaman in Justice League. Wonder Woman is also not afraid to be loving and compassionate. She symbolizes the female strength and encourages women to be bold and ambitious. This is why Wonder Woman is an amazing example of strong female leads in film.

Black Panther, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Wonder Women present fierce women in film. It is truly an inspiration to see strong female leads. From the women of Wakanda to those in a galaxy far, far, away, these female leads ensemble the progressive views of what it means to be a woman and challenge traditional gender roles. Happy Women’s History Month!

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March is not only a time to welcome the springtime but also a month to celebrate women worldwide as it is Women’s History Month! There have been a lot of women who have contributed to the film industry―whether through directing, screenwriting, etc. A great example would be Tamar Simon Hoffs, who is well-known for her work in the film Red Roses and Petrol (2003) that was distributed by World Wide Motion Pictures (WWMPC). Hoffs is particularly interesting as she is the first woman to receive credit for playing all three roles of director, writer, and producer for the major studio film, The Allnighter (1987).

Despite the great strides women in the film industry have accomplished, there has been a problem for both genders in Hollywood―diversity. As a result, to commemorate Women’s History Month, why not discuss the growth in diversity amongst actresses throughout the years? Here are two amazing actresses that have made significant contributions to the diversity in Hollywood!

First off would be Academy Award Golden Globe and Emmy award actress, Viola Davis! Since 2014, Davis has been in the popular TV drama How to Get Away with Murder, and in 2015 she became the first black woman of any nationality to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Her portrayal in the TV drama also won her two SAG Awards in 2015 and 2016. In 2012, she was listed by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. And Sunday she won her first Academy Award, for her role in "Fences."

Another actress that promotes diversity would be Constance Wu! Wu is known for her role as Jessica Huang in the ABC comedy series Fresh Off the Boat. It is a known fact that there is a limited number of Asian actors in Hollywood and Wu is well-known to speak her thoughts regarding this matter. For instance, in one of her interviews with Entertainment Weekly, she stated “[Diversity] doesn't mean we want the white people to write Asian stories. What I want is to foster the Asian-American writers and directors and producers and actors...foster their stories to come into the spotlight a little bit.”

It is great to see the growth that women in the film industry, especially in Hollywood, have accomplished. Although there still exist problems and obstacles actresses have to face, they have indeed come a long way! Let’s clap our hands for the actresses out there who continue to push through these obstacles and help pave the way for other women in the industry or those interested in joining.

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