At IGN, we're thrilled to celebrate the incredible women who shape our industry and world—their creativity, inspiration, empowerment, and positive impact are celebrated not just this month, but every month. Join us as we continue to learn from, celebrate, and amplify women's voices. Here's everything you need to know about Women's History Month and some fantastic 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 recognize their achievements throughout American history across various fields.
Interestingly, it began as "Women’s History Week" in 1982, observed during the week of March 7th. It wasn't until 1987 that it expanded to a month-long national celebration. Thanks to continued advocacy, every President since 1995 has issued annual proclamations designating March as Women’s History Month.
TL;DR - 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 countless others. Excellent resources include museum websites like the Smithsonian, organizations like StoryCorps, and reputable historical publishers such as 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—from artists to streamers and beyond. Shop online at sites like Etsy, browse Women Owned Business Directories such as WBD and FoundedByHer, or use Amazon's filter to find women-owned retailers. Beyond purchasing, supporting women's career growth is crucial. Organizations like SoundGirls provide networking and support for women in the audio industry, offering workshops and resources. Sharing success stories and promoting such organizations helps significantly.
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® celebrates female talent both in front of and behind the camera.
Following the 2025 Oscars, catch up on hit films like Anora, featuring Oscar-winning actress Mikey Madison.
What We Said in Our Anora Review:
Writer Lex Briscuso stated, "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."
Discover Women Directors:
Beyond starring roles, celebrate legendary films directed by women, such as Barbie, American Psycho, and The Hurt Locker. Streaming services like Netflix offer easy browsing.
Watch Women's Sports:
Don't forget women's sports! ESPNW covers major leagues, and justwomenssports.com is dedicated entirely to women's athletics. We also highlight WOW (Women of Wrestling), with whom we've partnered. Stream many events on ESPN+.
4. Read Books Written by Women
Dive into the vast world of books by women authors across all genres. BookRiot notes that women now publish over 50% of all books since 2020. Find recommendations for books by Black women authors and top-rated books by women authors on Amazon.
5. Play and Discover Women-Led Games
Many incredible games are created by women—from Portal and Celeste to the Uncharted series and Centipede. Explore game lists featuring women creators on sites like G2A and Microsoft. Consider Celeste's impactful journey as one of the most important trans games ever made. (Available on Nintendo.com for $19.99).
6. Listen to Podcasts Hosted by Women
Discover a wide range of podcasts hosted by women, from news and history to comedy and true crime. NY Public Radio offers a list of over 100. Here are a few recommendations:
- You're Wrong About: Sarah reconsiders miscast people and events.
- Ladies & Tangents: Jeri and Ciara discuss companionship and human rights.
- 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 analyze video game news.
- My Favorite Murder: Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark's true crime comedy podcast.
- This Ends At Prom: BJ and Harmony Colangelo analyze teen girl movies.
- Girlfriend Material: Rosie Turner's LGBTQ+ focused comedy podcast.
- A Little Queer: Capri and Ashley discuss queer culture and media.
- The Artist In Me Is Dead: Rhonda Willers explores creativity.
- Conversations With Moon Body Soul: Kaitee Tyner discusses holistic wellness.
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