On IWD, Netflix’s documentaries shed light on women empowerment

CAIRO – 8 March 2018:It's International Women's day, and what better way to spend it than to binge some of these powerful, well-made documentaries highlighting the issues women face all around the world.

Here's a list of 10 empowering documentaries available for streaming on Netflix:
"13th"



This documentary explores racism in America in the angle of prison incarcerations targeting people of color. Through the use of raw statistics and a lesson in history, shocking facts come to light about the effects of this unjust system, especially in the African-American community, including the women affected directly or indirectly by mass incarceration.

"Ladies First"



Deepika Kumari drew the short stick in life, being born female in a poor Indian village with little concept of women's rights. Yet, incredibly, this didn't stop her from growing up to become the world's #1 female archer. "Ladies First" explores her stunning journey to reach the top, and how she overcame everything thrown against her.

"It's a Girl"



Gendercide of female babies is one of the most pressing feminist issues in the world that sadly does not get the recognition it needs.

The problem is particularly rampant in China and India, where millions of baby girls are killed at birth, while a quarter in India never grow up to see puberty. With such an imbalance of men to women, sex trafficking and kidnapping have grown to become major issues as well. This documentary explores the reasons behind this appalling state of affairs and what's being done to fight back.

"Heroin(e)"



The opioid crisis in America has ruined countless lives and destroyed entire communities. However, three women; a fire chief, judge and street missionary, come together to fight back, protecting their town of Huntington, West Virginia, from succumbing to the dark cloud of addiction through the use of compassion and understanding.

"Finding Home"

Finding Home Trailer from Flying Treasure on Vimeo.

Sex trafficking is one of the biggest threats to women and girls in the developing world, though sadly more developed nations live in ignorance of the extent of its damage. "Finding Home" explores the stories of three Cambodian women who survived the horrors of sex trafficking.

"She's Beautiful When She's Angry"



An exploration of the history of the women's movement, particularly in-between 1966 to 1971, this documentary uses archived footage to provide a look back in time to the origins of the women's liberation movement, which was crucial in helping establish feminism as we know it today.

"The Testimony"



This short documentary looks at the mass rape in the Congo in 2012, when displaced members of the Congolese army fled to Minova, where they raped hundreds of women. Drawing international outrage, this documentary looks at the massive rape trial against several of the perpetrators, including testimonies from their victims.

"Audrie& Daisy"


Sexual assault is bad enough for any women to deal with, but factor in the uncontrollable nature of the internet and you have a recipe for disaster. "Audrie& Daisy" explores the aftermath on the lives of its titular women andtheir families and communities after they are both sexually assaulted on two separate nights, with online bullying making an already horrific situation even worse.

"What Happened Miss Simone"


The life of Nina Simone, an African-American singer, activist and performer is laid to witness here, including her struggles with depression and how prejudice impacted her career.

"Seeing Allred"


This documentary explores the life of Gina Allred, one of America's most prolific female lawyers and the most public. Allred personally reveals how some of her cases have affected her personally.