Celebrate Women's History Month: 8 Great Ideas

At IGN, we celebrate the incredible women who shape our industry and world—their creativity, inspiration, empowerment, and positive impact. This isn't just for March; it's a year-round commitment. Join us in celebrating and amplifying women's voices. Here's your guide to Women's History Month and ways to celebrate this March.

The History of Women's History Month

Women's History Month originated from a 1987 petition by the National Women’s History Project, aiming to celebrate women's contributions to the United States and acknowledge their achievements throughout American history.

Interestingly, it began as “Women’s History Week” in 1982. Its expansion to a month-long national celebration in 1987 followed continued advocacy. Every President since 1995 has issued a proclamation designating March as Women’s History Month.

8 Ways to Celebrate Women's History Month

• Learn About Women in History and Share Their Stories
• Support Women-Owned Businesses and Professionals
• Watch Movies or Shows Directed by Women
• Read Books Written by Women Authors
• Play Games Created by Women
• Listen to Podcasts Featuring Women
• Volunteer at Women-Based Organizations
• Donate to Programs and Organizations Uplifting Women

1. Learn About Women in History and Share Their Stories

Explore the remarkable stories of women throughout history—inventors, leaders, and more. Start with resources like the Smithsonian (and its online archives), StoryCorps, and The History Channel.

Suggested Reads:

• How Women Taught Me to Love and Build Games
• Yoko Shimomura's Story: The Composer of Kingdom Hearts, Super Mario RPG, and More Wins Game Developers Choice Award for Lifetime Achievement
• Twelve Black Women You Should Know
• 10 Women Inventors You Should Know

2. Support Women-Owned Businesses and Professionals

Support women in business! Shop online at Etsy, explore directories like WBD and FoundedByHer, or use Amazon's filter to find women-owned retailers. Beyond purchases, support women's career growth. Organizations like SoundGirls provide networking and support for women in audio. Share success stories and promote organizations offering workshops and resources.

Also see: 14 Great Women Comic Book Writers.

3. Watch Movies or Shows Featuring Women or Directed by Women

Explore diverse content. Hulu features shows and movies with Black female leads, while Showtime's SHOWTIME WOMEN® showcases female talent. Catch up on award-winning films like Anora, starring Oscar winner Mikey Madison.

Our Anora Review:

Writer Lex Briscuso said, "Sean Baker’s hysterical and moving Anora serves up its lead character’s purity of heart on a silver platter, showing us what it means to be let down just when the world seems so full of possibility. In this frank exploration of sex work, class, and the promises we make and break, the director reaches our souls and reminds us life isn’t all it seems to be through a story of outcasts and outsiders."

Beyond individual films, explore works by female directors—classics like Barbie, American Psycho, and The Hurt Locker. Streaming services like Netflix offer curated collections.

Watch Women's Sports

Support women's sports! ESPNW covers major leagues, while justwomenssports.com is dedicated to women's athletics. Don't forget WOW (Women of Wrestling)! Stream major events on ESPN+.

4. Read Books Written by Women

Dive into the vast world of books by women authors. Women now publish over 50% of all books (since 2020). Explore diverse genres and authors. Here's a list of 10 books by Black women to get you started.

5. Play and Discover Women-Led Games

Many incredible games are created by women. From Portal and Celeste to Uncharted and Centipede, explore diverse game worlds. Learn more about the underrepresentation of women in game development (around 22%). Find game lists featuring women creators on sites like G2A and Microsoft.

6. Listen to Podcasts Hosted by Women

Discover podcasts hosted by women across various genres. NY Public Radio has a list of over 100. Here are a few recommendations:

• You're Wrong About: Sarah investigates misrepresented historical figures and events.
• Ladies & Tangents: Jeri and Ciara discuss companionship, human rights, and more.
• Scam Goddess: Laci Mosley explores scams and "fun crime."
• Axe of the Blood God: Kat Bailey, Nadia Oxford, and Eric Van Allen discuss RPGs.
• What's Good Games: Andrea Rene, Brittney Brombacher, and Riana Manuel-Peña cover video game news.
• My Favorite Murder: Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark explore true crime comedy.
• This Ends At Prom: BJ Colangelo and Harmony Colangelo analyze coming-of-age films.
• Girlfriend Material: Rosie Turner shares funny stories and chats.
• A Little Queer: Capri and Ashley discuss LGBTQ+ culture and advice.
• The Artist In Me Is Dead: Rhonda Willers explores creativity.
• Conversations With Moon Body Soul: Kaitee Tyner discusses holistic wellness.

(Note: All podcast links should point to Apple Podcasts or a similar platform.)