The best women-centric movies to watch this International Women's Day

Serving as a tribute to a pivotal figure in American history, the extraordinary tale of heroic abolitionist Harriet Tubman made her one of America’s greatest heroes. From her escape from slavery to her dangerous missions which led to liberate hundreds of slaves through the Underground Railroad, Tubman’s courage, ingenuity and tenacity freed many slaves and changed the course of history.

Based on the highly acclaimed novel by Louisa May Alcott, this classic show stars Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Eliza Scanlen and Florence Pugh. The 2019 adaptation, directed by Greta Gerwig, explores the lives of the March sisters.

Years after the Civil War, Jo March lives in New York and makes her living as a writer while Amy studies painting in Paris. Amy has a chance encounter with Theodore, a childhood crush. The eldest sister, Meg, is married to a school teacher, while shy sister Beth, develops a devastating illness that brings everyone back together. Gerwig took the book and gave the characters more enthusiasm, making the story a masterpiece to watch.

Based on the true story of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, this show shines a light on the early cases of her historic career that lead to her confirmation as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice. RBG was a struggling attorney and a new mother who faced numerous obstacles in her fight for equal rights. When she takes on a revolutionary case with her husband, attorney Martin Ginsburg, she knows it could change the direction of her career and views towards gender discrimination.

Based on a true story, these three brilliant African American women are the brains behind one of the biggest operations in the history of NASA. Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson successfully launched astronaut John Glenn into space. Taraji P. Henson plays Katherine Johnson, the mathematician whose calculations made the flight a success. Octavia Spencer is the human-computer Dorothy Vaughan, while Janelle Monae plays aerospace Mary Jackson. This stellar achievement restored the nation’s confidence and galvanised the world.

Anne Hathaway plays Jane Austen, a young woman who refused to fulfil the wishes of her financially strapped parents by marrying the grandson of the wealthy Lady Gresham. Austen has creative ambitions and knows that such a union will destroy her future. She then becomes involved with Tom Lefroy, a penniless apprentice lawyer who then inspires her future career as a novelist.

This documentary brilliantly captures old footage of Aretha Franklin performing gospel songs at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles back in 1972. This must-watch movie shows Franklin near the peak of her prodigious power.

Based on Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 book of the same name, Reese Witherspoon, who plays the author, decides to walk the Pacific Crest Trail after the dissolution of her marriage and the lost of her mother. With no outdoor experience and only her own will, she sets out alone to hike where she faces her biggest mental hurdles.