Literature. For centuries, talented writers have been using the pen as their sword. From abolitionist literature like Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, or the Civil-Rights era “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”, or even more modern books like Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis”, literature has always been used to enact social change. Music and film have as well. People have been making movies about social change since the 1900s, with movies like “Grapes of Wrath” and even more modern films such as “Moonlight”. As for music, music has been used for social change as early as the 1700s, when enslaved people sang spirituals. As Women’s history month is coming to a close, here are some books, films, and songs that have exemplified the values of Women’s History Month, as well as the Women’s Rights movement.

Moxie

Moxie is a book about how Vivian Carter challenges sexism at her small-town Texas high school. She’s tired of the sexist environment that her and other girls at her school have to endure on a daily basis. But she won’t take the sexism any more. She starts a feminist magazine, which she anonymously distributes to students at her school. The magazine gains popularity, and hundreds of girls across the school begin to talk about their experiences, and how the environment at their school has to change.

“I really like Moxie because it like tackles common issues in today’s society, compared to like society a century ago. It had a really good subplot intertwined with it. The main plot was the character trying to like navigate through her really sexist high school. Because she lives in an area that is not really the most accepting. There were like subplots like issues with friends and other people. I think it all ties into an overarching theme of feminism. It also did get a Netflix adaptation that really didn’t do the book justice.” Vedanti Patil (8) said. 

Speak 

Speak is a young adult novel by Laurie Halse Anderson, one of the most famous young-adult writers of all time. Anderson’s works cover a wide variety of topics. Everything from life in slavery, to yellow fever, to sexual assault, the topic of Speak. Speak is about a girl named Melinda, whose life is changed after she was sexually assaulted at a party. The book talks about the aftermath of the event. Her grades drop, she seldom speaks, and is ostracized by her peers. The book does a really good job at portraying student life, and is often credited as one of the best young-adult books of all time.

“Who (Laurie Halse Anderson) is one of the first young-adult writers back in the late 90s, to publish about subjects that people didn’t think kids should read about. Her very first book was speak, and that was based on her own experience with sexual assault, and what I love about speak is not just the honesty, but how it’s a funny book too.” Ms. Fritch, eighth grade Languages-Arts teacher said.

Gangubai Kathiawadi

Gangubai Kathiawadi is the Hindi film adaptation of Hussain Zaidi’s and Jane Borges’ ‘Mafia Queens Of Mumbai’. Gangubai Kathiawadi is about the rags to riches story of Gangubai, a woman who is sold to a brothel at a very young age. Gangubai vows to own the brothel, and later becomes a crime lord.

“First of all it’s (Gangubai Kathiawadi) is about a woman, and it’s about a woman who doesn’t rely on men, and she’s very much her own human being, she helps other women at that, she does a lot of things that are self sacrificing, to help a lot of other people around her, and she doesn’t really fall in to any other tropes about sex workers, or female characters in general.” Deetyaa Shah (8) said. 

Just Like Fire by Pink 

Just Like Fire is a song about perseverance. It talks about independence from the expectations of other people, and living your dreams, themes that are often exemplified by women in history.

“I love this song because she talks about how unique she is and how even though you are surrounded by people who might try to bring you down or take you off your course in life, you have to keep moving forward and breaking down barriers. It is a very empowering song. I used this song to motivate me to start running again after I broke my ankle and had to have major surgery.” eighth grade history teacher, Ms. Angela Buentello said.

For the majority of history, the contributions of womens were overlooked in film, music, and literature. Books and Movies rarely had female characters that deviated from typical societal norms, let alone those with actual complexities, strengths, and weaknesses. Now, there are hundreds of examples of women in the media, that children everywhere can look up to. Although there is a lot of progress to be made, a lot has been done to help create a better future and society for the children of this generation.