Women's Equality Day 2022: 6 International Movies That Talk About Gender Equality

In the United States, Women's Equality Day is celebrated on 26 August to commemorate the adoption of Amendment XIX (nineteenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution in 1920 to prohibit the states from depriving citizens of the United States of the right to vote based on their gender identity.

The day was first celebrated in 1971, designated by Congress in 1973, and proclaimed by the President of the United States each year.

In the event of Women's Equality Day 2022, let us take a look top 6 movies you need to watch on this day.

International Movies On Gender Equality

1. Suffragette (English, 2015)

Suffragette is a memoir of working women who joined, organized and fought for women's suffrage in the UK in 1912. As a result of their sacrifices for the movement, the film represents real activists and characters modelled after them. In addition, the film shows the plight of the suffragettes, who were subjected to cruelty and harassment not only by law enforcement but also by their families, husbands, neighbours, and colleagues, not to mention the cruelty and harassment they encountered.

You can watch Suffragette on Prime Video.

2. Wadjda (Arabic, 2012)

Wadjda, 10, lives in Riyadh and wants to buy a bicycle so she can beat her friend, Abdullah, in a race. However, in Wadjda's strict and patriarchal society, her mom won't let her, fearing repercussions. The film discusses the various religious traditions and laws that Muslim girls and women must adhere to, particularly regarding dress and submission to authority figures and how the spirited young girl tries to overcome these through her young, innocent eyes.

You can watch Wadjda on SBS on Demand/Prime Video.

3. North Country (English, 2005)

The movie is a brutal, inspiring journey of resilience based on the true story of Lois Jenson, a miner who became the first woman to win a sex discrimination case in the United States after bringing a class action against an iron mine in northern Minnesota in which women workers, including Jenson, were regularly subjected to assault, harassment, intimidation, humiliation, and abuse.

You can watch North Country on Prime Video.

4. Hidden Figures (English, 2016)

Adapted from Margot Lee Shetterly's novel, Hidden Figures illuminates the role played by three Black women at NASA during the 1960s Space Race. This led to the development of the United States Space Race. The film stars Taraji P. Henson as mathematician Katherine Johnson. Her calculations enabled the success of the Mercury-Atlas 6 orbital mission, which marked a turning point in the U.S. and Soviet Union's race.

You can watch Hidden Figures on Disney+.

5. Persepolis (French, 2007)

Adapted from Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel about her life in pre-and post-revolutionary Iran and Europe, the film depicts Satrapi's development into a rebellious, punk-loving teenager. In the background, the growing tensions of the political climate in Iran in the 70s and 80s, with members of her liberal-leaning family detained and then executed. The disastrous Iran/Iraq war is also present.

Throughout the graphic novel and the movie, Satrapi uses her upbringing, including government restrictions, family opposition, and peer separation, to emphasize the expectations women face today.

You can watch Persepolis on iTunes and Google Play.

6. On the Basis of Sex (English, 2018)

On the Basis of Sex is based on the early life and career of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and chronicles the landmark case that created a precedent for sex discrimination while setting Ginsburg on her path to becoming the leading lawyer for women's rights of her generation. The movie is set in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. It follows Ginsburg as she and her husband Marty take on Moritz v. Commissioner, the first federal case to declare sex discrimination unconstitutional.

You can watch On the Basis of Sex on Netflix and Prime Video.