Fifty-five women who work in front and behind the camera curated a special collection of TV series, documentaries, and films on Netflix to celebrate International Women’s Day.
The special lineup dubbed “Because She Watched,” available all year, was organized through the partnership between Netflix and UN Women.
Curators include Sophia Loren, Janet Mock, Salma Hayek, Yalitza Aparicio, Millie Bobby Brown, Laurie Nunn, Lana Condor, Petra Costa, and Ava DuVernay, among others.
“This collaboration is about taking on the challenge of telling women’s stories and showing women in all their diversity,” said UN Women deputy executive director Anita Bhatia.
Created for International Women’s Day, whose official theme this year is “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights,” the collection celebrates the stories that have inspired the women who inspire us.
Some of the titles include Unbelievable, Luna Nera, Followers, Orange Is the New Black, Lionheart, and Sex Education.
“Orange Is the New Black is the first project where I felt genuinely empowered as a woman thanks to the woman at the helm of the show, Jenji Kohan, and the many women directors, writers, producers, and crew members as well as the stories that centered diverse women in an unprecedented way,” said one of the show’s stars, Laverne Cox.
Cox continued, “This show created a space and platform for me as a black openly trans woman that created space for other openly trans women of all races to be truly seen in the depth of our humanity.”
“We’re encouraged that last year, 20 percent of the directors of Netflix original films were women and we are excited to celebrate these female creators on International Women’s Day,” said Dr. Stacy L. Smith, founder of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative.
“There’s still more to do to reach equality, but by recognizing female talent from around the world, we hope more women will feel encouraged to tell their stories, pushing that number even higher.”
The collection is available at Netflix.com/BecauseSheWatched or by searching “Because She Watched.”