The start of March marks the beginning of Women's History Month, and television creators are proudly showcasing specials, shows, segments and content that not only spotlight women's achievements, but that also spur discussions on advancing gender equality. As the month unravels, we'll check back again to highlight unique projects that pay tribute to women, and to gather insights on gender diversity in the internet and television workforce. But first, check out the following initiatives that our member companies have launched to get the celebration started:
- Smithsonian Channel will premiere two specials later this month that highlight two important figures in women's history -- Marianne North, an explorer and botanist in Victorian England, and Pocahontas, the legendary Native American who rescued John Smith. The program, Victorian Rebel: Marianne North, highlights North’s rise in a male-dominated world throughout her adventures around the world, and Pocahontas: Beyond the Myth looks at how the story of Pocahontas has evolved over the centuries.
- HBO's streaming services, HBO NOW and HBO GO, are dividing up the month into a series of themed weeks. The first week will feature a mix of HBO documentaries, HBO films and theatricals that pay tribute to the strength of women from years past and from our society today, while the second week takes an in-depth look at the leading ladies of HBO's original series, including Game of Thrones, Westworld, Girls, Insecure, The Wire, and Veep, to name a few. The third week will air documentaries that revolve around women judges, journalists and activists, and the final week will air documentaries on women artists and industry pioneers.
- NBC Sports kicked off the month by touting TOMBOY, its multi-platform documentary project about gender in sports. The documentary is told through the voices of some of the world's most well-known women athletes, broadcasters, and sports executives, including tennis icon Billie Jean King, four-time World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn, and Basketball Hall of Famer Anne Meyers-Drysdale. The documentary looks at the increase in female participation in sports over the last 40 years, as well as why some girls aren't playing sports.
- ESPN launched its Women's History Month celebration with the premiere of espnW's new film, When I Play, produced by an all-woman senior production team, and which celebrates and gives voice to women athletes. ESPN will also air more than 140 hours of live women's events programming throughout March, including the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, women's professional tennis, college softball and more. Then on espnW.com viewers can browse through photo galleries, profiles and features on women pioneers in sports that are traditionally dominated by men.
- National Geographic has a special segment on its globe feature on its website. Viewers can pick a location on the globe as it spins, and read about National Geographic's women explorers. The women range from mountaineers to conservationists to archaeologists to anthropologists throughout history, and each segment highlights how each woman affected environmental or community change. The globe also includes tidbits of information on milestones and breakthroughs for women's rights over the past 200 years.
- HISTORY Channel has an extensive collection of articles, features, photo galleries, video and audio clips on its website celebrating Women's History Month. From speeches given by women leaders to photos of women in the arts, sports and science, to biographical video clips, there's an abundance of historical information that pay tribute to women's progress in our culture and society as well as the strides that are yet to come this century.
- The Undefeated, ESPN's new website dedicated to race, sports and culture, has rounded up some of the inspiring stories its reporters have written on women athletes, actresses, soldiers, musicians, educators, activists and journalists since it launched in May 2016. A few of them include: Stacye Harris, the first black woman to become an Air Force lieutenant general; Christina Hopper, the first black female fighter pilot to fly in wartime; tennis queen Serena Williams; and creator, producer, and actress of Insecure, Issae Rae.
- Science Channel is paying tribute to the month by honoring two women who are paving the way in the STEM fields. As part of its Science Super Heroes initiative, a project that recognizes individuals who are using science to affect change in their communities, the Science Channel looks to encourage more diversity in the STEM fields. This month, the channel has named Debbie Sterling, the founder and CEO of Goldiebox, a children's multimedia company that empowers girls, and Olivia Pavco-Giaccia, the founder and CEO of LabCandy, a social enterprise venture that aims to get young girls interested in science, as the Science Super Heroes for March. Both women will be featured on-air as well as across all of the channel's social media platforms.