It's International Women's Day, and if you're looking for a way to celebrate, you've come to the right place. The movies, music, and books on this list are just a small sample of popular media created by and about women, telling stories of struggle, triumph, heart, and humor, whether it's the first film for which a woman won the Best Director Oscar or music from the defining female artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
You'll find everything on this list either in the iTunes Store, on Apple Music, or in the iBookstore.
Movies
In an industry dominated by men and male stories, these films have been created by or tell the stories of women, from a movie examining the relationship between a mother and daughter to an out-of-this-world superhero story.
- The Color Purple - This film, based on the novel of the same name, examines the hard lives led by young African-American women in Georgia in the early 20th century, primarily telling the story of Celie and the brutality she experiences in her life. The film features both Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Margaret Avery in Oscar-nominated performances. - $9.99 - Download Now
- Wonder Woman - The first blockbuster superhero film of the modern era led by a woman, this film follows Diana of Themyscira as she journeys to the world of Man for the first time in an effort to defeat Aries, the God of War and put an end to World War I. This film was directed by Patty Jenkins, another first for the genre. - $9.99 - Download Now
- Selma - Directed by Ava DuVernay, this film tells the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery. The film portrays Dr. King not as the sanitized near-saint that we've come to know, but as the flesh and blood man he was, full of struggle and doubt. DuVernay was the first African-American woman to see her film nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. - $9.99 - Download Now
- The Hurt Locker - This film follows the story of an Army bomb disposal unit in Iraq in the early years of the Iraq War. Director Kathryn Bigelow remains the only woman to have won the Academy Award for Best Director for this film. - $12.99 - Download Now
- Lady Bird - Greta Gerwig both wrote and directed this story about a young woman and her conflicted relationship with her mother as she prepares to become an adult. Gerwig was the first woman nominated for the Best Director Oscar since Kathryn Bigelow's 2010 win for The Hurt Locker. - $14.99 - Download Now
Music
Apple has created a new section of Apple Music to celebrate women, highlighting (and even creating) playlists full of great and iconic female artists from across the world.
- Essential Feminism - This list features artists both past and present from across several genres of music, all offering their own truth, from anthems like "You Don't Own Me" by Lesley Gore to Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls). - Check it out!
- Who Runs the World - Where the previous list put the spotlight on female artists from both past and present, this list looks more towards the future, full of empowerment anthems from the likes of Janelle Monáe, Banks, Rihanna, and Madame Gandhi. - Check it out!
- Women Around the World - The artists here come from all around the world, with the songs featured on this playlist coming from places like Indonesia, South Korea, South Africa, and Hong Kong. - Check it out!
- Ella Fitzgerald Essentials - One of the defining artists of 20th century American jazz, Ella Fitzgerald was known not only for her beautiful voice, but her musical innovation. This list contains just some of her impressive body of work, with songs like "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," "Blue Skies," and "Summertime." - Check it out!
- Beyoncé Essentials - Beyoncé has already become a dominating force in music the early part of this century, with each of her new albums shaking up the industry and taking the world by storm. In this list of the essentials, you'll find songs such as "Crazy in Love," "Best Thing I Never Had," and "Daddy Lessons." - Check it out!
Books
These books by women tell all sorts of stories, whether they're about trying to make it in male-dominated industries, telling stories of the evolution of female friendship, talking about activism, or taking on sexual harassment.
- Brotopia - Bloomberg TV's Emily Chang takes on the "bro culture" of Silicon Valley, detailing a culture of toxicity and sexism and exploring how it got that way, and the effect it has on women, who are often kept out of one of the most profitable industries in history. - $14.99 - Download Now
- I Have the Right To - Chessy Prout tells her harrowing story of sexual assault and the failure of institutions and her community to hear her and support her, with the hope that sharing her story helps other survivors find the courage to speak out and tell theirs. - $10.99 - Download Now
- Tomorrow Will Be Different - In this memoir, Sarah McBride talks about her struggle to come out as a transgender woman to both her family and community, as well as her realization of the power that her story could have for other trans men and women, and her work in activism on issues transgender people face across the country. - $12.99 - Download Now
- So You Want to Talk About Race - Author Ijeoma Oluo takes on topics of privilege, police brutality, intersectionality, the Black Lives Matter movement, and more in her exploration of race in America today, explaining in plain language the true divide between the white and black experiences, and the work that still needs to be done to create a more equal country. - $15.99 - Download Now
- The Last Black Unicorn - Comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish offers up a powerful and powerfully funny memoir. Telling her story of growing up in poverty and neglect all the way to her sudden breakout stardom, Haddish blends these stories of struggle with her trademark humor. - $12.99 - Downlaod Now
You favorites
What are your favorite books, movies, and music created by and about women? Let us know in the comments.
