Women's History Month Streaming and DVD Resources

According to Wikipedia, " Women in government refers to the history, demographics and participation of women in public offices. In many countries, women have had inadequate opportunities in social participation, especially in striving for political rights and power in the government and different institutions. This historical tendency still persists, although women are increasingly being elected to be heads of state and government.  As of October 2019, the global participation rate of women in national-level parliaments is 24.5%. In 2013, women accounted for 8% of all national leaders and 2% of all presidential posts. Furthermore, 75% of all female prime ministers and presidents have taken office in the past two decades.

Female government employees in India (Border Security force)

Women may face a number of challenges that affect their ability to participate in political life and become political leaders. Several countries are exploring measures that may increase women's participation in government at all levels, from the local to the national. However, more and more women are pursuing leadership positions in the present day."

The following resources require IUB CAS Authentication.

A Woman Called Moses ( 191min., 1979) This program is a freely based scripted account of the life of Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave and participant of the Underground Railroad. Emmy Award winner and Academy Award nominee Cicely Tyson portrays the African American abolitionist who returned to the South several times and led hundreds of slaves to freedom before the Civil War. Tubman has become an iconic symbol for the fight against oppression.

American Experience. 1964. Interview with Phyllis Schlafly (65min., 2014) It was the year of the Beatles and the Civil Rights Act; of the Gulf of Tonkin and Barry Goldwater's presidential campaign; the year that cities across the country erupted in violence and Americans tried to make sense of the Kennedy assassination. Based on The Last Innocent Year: America in 1964 by award-winning journalist Jon Margolis, this film follows some of the most prominent figures of the time. 

Barbara Jordan: 1992 DNC address ( 27min., 1992) Barbara Jordan speaks at the 1992 Democratic National Convention.

Dolores ( 97min., 2017) Dolores Huerta is among the most important, yet least known, activists in American history. An equal partner in co-founding the first farm workers unions with Cesar Chavez, her enormous contributions have gone largely unrecognized. Dolores tirelessly led the fight for racial and labor justice alongside Chavez, becoming one of the most defiant feminists of the twentieth century - and she continues the fight to this day, at 87.

Great Speeches, Today's Women. Vol.1  Barbara Jordan, Marilyn Quayle, Joycelyn Elder, Sarah Weddington, and Paula Stern. (131min., 2004)This program features Barbara Jordan's 1992 DNC keynote address; Marilyn Quayle's speech to defend the Republican administration; Joycelyn Elders' discussion of health issues; Sarah Weddington's speech as the lawyer behind Roe v. Wade on women's issues; and Paula Stern's talk on Clinton's economic conference.

Great Speeches, Today's Women. Volume 6, Anita Taylor, Laura Bush, Mary Robinson, Jan Piercy, and Elizabeth Edwards (83min., 2005) This program highlights Anita Taylor's "Tales of the Grandmothers" speech; Laura Bush's 200 RNC address; Mary Robinson's Pearl Buck Awards speech; Jan Piercy's RMWC commencement address; and Elizabeth Edwards' 2004 DNC address.

Great Speeches, Today's Women. Volume 7, Elizabeth Edwards, Michelle Obama, Cindy McCain, Mary McAleese, Mary Yates, Lilly Ledbetter, and Carly Fiorina (135min., 2009) This video features Elizabeth Edwards' "Facing My Mortality" speech; Michelle Obama's 2008 DNC speech; Cindy McCain's 2008 RNC address; President Mary McAleese's Notre Dame commencement address; Ambassador Mary Yates' Oregon State commencement address; Lilly Ledbetter's "Suing for Equal Pay" speech; and Carly Fiorina's 2008 RNC speech.

Leading Women [Episode 22] Renee James/Cherie Blair ( 12min., 2014) Leading Women - Cherie Blair, a former political wife turned global philanthropist and the highest ranking woman in her company's history; and Renee James, the highest ranking woman in her company's history.

Leading Women [Episode 43], Nancy Pelosi (11min., 2015) Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, is considered the most powerful woman in American politics. Pelosi was the first female Speaker of the House and the first woman to be third in line for the presidency.

Makers. Women Who Make America. Vol. 2, Ep. 6. Women in Politics (57min., 2014) Profiles of women leaders in politics.

Mankiller (57min., 2019) She stands tall amongst the likes of Robert Kennedy, Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King, Jr. She humbly defied the odds and overcame insurmountable obstacles to fight injustice and gave a voice to the voiceless. And yet few people know her name.  MANKILLER is the story of an American legend, Wilma Mankiller, who overcame rampant sexism and personal challenges to emerge as the Cherokee Nation's first woman Principal Chief in 1985. (digital file on order)

Mystery of Eva Peron (112min., 2008) Actress, seductress, political powerhouse and cultural icon of Argentina and the world, the life and legend of María Eva Duarte de Perón, or Evita, as she came to be known, endures to this day. 

No Time to Waste: The Urgent Mission of Betty Reid Soskin (52min, 2020) NO TIME TO WASTE celebrates legendary 98-year-old park ranger Betty Reid Soskin's inspiring life, work and urgent mission to restore critical missing chapters of America's story. The film follows her journey as an African American woman presenting her personal story from a kitchen stool in a national park theater to media interviews and international audiences who hang on every word she utters.

Poverty, Politics and Profit  (53min., 2017) An investigation into the billions spent on housing the poor, and why so few get the help they need. With NPR, the film examines the politics, profits and problems of an affordable housing system in crisis.

Power and the World's Women ( 49min., 2015) In 1995, while still First Lady, Hillary Clinton made a groundbreaking speech in Beijing, setting down a challenge to world leaders: to treat women's rights as human rights. She highlighted abuses including young girls sold into slavery; women raped as a tool of war; and lack of education for girls. Since then, three women - Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice and of course Clinton herself - have done one of the world's most powerful jobs, as U.S. Secretary of State. 

RBG ( 98min., 2018) At the age of 85, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has developed a lengthy legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon. But the unique personal journey of her rise to the nation's highest court has been largely unknown, even to some of her biggest fans-until now. RBG explores Ginsburg's life and career.

The Rhetoric of Women in Politics (50min., 2005) This program presents distinguished women speaking about the prejudices and obstacles they face in the predominately male world of politics. Featuring Shirley Chisholm, Geraldine Ferraro, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Elizabeth Dole, and others.

Shirley Chisholm First African American Congresswoman ( 50min., 1998) Shirley Chisholm, born 1924 in Brooklyn, N.Y., is the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress and the first to campaign for the Presidency. She was an outspoken advocate for women and minorities during the seven terms she served in the House. Her legacy of political and social activism laid the foundation for the rise of women and Blacks in American politics. 'Of my two 'handicaps' being female put more obstacles in my path than being black.' 

Shirley Chisholm Lecture (42min., 1982) This video is a film of Shirley Chisholm giving a speech on equal rights and civil rights for African American women.

The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Failure is Impossible ( 90min., 2005)  The second installment in Ken Burns' eye-opening profile of the women's suffrage movement, this program depicts the later years of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. With the help of rarely seen archival materials and voice-over portrayals by well-known actors, viewers learn how the struggle for women's rights gained momentum in America and coalesced around the right to vote.

The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony Revolution (94min., 2005) The first installment in Ken Burns' remarkable documentary on the women's suffrage movement, this program depicts the early years of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. With the help of rarely seen archival materials and voice-over portrayals by well-known actors, viewers learn how the ideas of both women came to maturity and how they became allies in the struggle for women's rights.

Women First & Foremost (180min., 1995)   Offers shining examples of how generations of women have achieved their deserved place at the forefront of history. Volume 1: Remember the Ladies. Volume 2: Touching the Clouds with Pen and Plane. Volume 3: A Lady in the Spotlight.

Women in American Politics (60min., 1992)  This program with Bill Moyers looks at the rising number of women on the political scene and their impressions of politics. Congresswoman Pat Schroeder, former Secretary of Labor Lynn Martin, Senator Carol Moseley Braun, and other female politicians talk about the challenges women candidates face, describe their experiences in male bastions of power, why it's important for women to participate in politics, and what women bring to governing our nation.

Women in Politics:  Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher, Hillary Clinton... (23min., 2011) They have made a difference and revolutionized the world. They come from all walks of life and from all corners of the globe. These remarkable individuals have pioneered, developed and forever improved their industry and the world in which we live. Engaging and relevant, these individuals will change the way you view the world, and remind you that it only takes one person to make a difference. This episode features Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher, Hillary Clinton, Benazir Bhutto, and Angela Merkel.

Women Leaders and Organizers ( 96min., 2011) Women Leadership Panel Introduction (4:49); Doris Derby (11:19); Maria Varela (8:28); Mary King (10:36); Cynthia Fleming (11:37); Martha Prescott Norman Noonan (15:02); Fran Beal (4:55); Black Women's Liberation Committee (4:34); Prioritizing Gender Oppression (6:53); Black Women's Liberation Committee Agenda (3:22); QA: Sexual Assault (3:45); QA: Self Sacrifice vs. Self-Care (1:47); QA: Promoting Gender Studies (3:22); QA: Class Divide in the Women's Movement (5:07); Credits: Women Leaders and Organizers: You Can Do This (0:39);

Women's Rights:  Finding a Voice ( 21min., 1999) Men their rights and nothing more; women their rights and nothing less." This was the motto of the women's movement at the beginning of the 20th century-eloquent, direct, and extremely difficult to achieve. This ABC News program anchored by Peter Jennings traces the evolution of women's rights, from Susan B. Anthony through the fight for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. Following the rocky road to true equality, it examines the contributions of pivotal figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Friedan, Amelia Earhart, and Babe Didrickson

To check out media items, you must have a valid IU crimson or borrower's card. Be sure to check with Media Services for hours. VHS titles are housed off-site at ALF, and can be requested via IUCAT. Suggested keywords in IUCAT: women and politics and history. Limit to film & video, dvd/videodisc, Bloomington campus.  Beginning March 4, face masks will be optional.

Chisholm '72: Unbought and Unbossed ( 77min., 2004) Interviews with: Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Lee, Sandra Gaines, Ronald Dellums, Shirley Downs, Jacqueline Ceballos, Susan Brownmiller, Victor Robles, Muriel Forde, Conrad Chisholm, Robert Gottlieb, Paula Giddings, Tom Asher, James Richardson, Jules Witcover, Walter Fauntroy, Amiri Baraka, Octavia Butler, Arlie Scott, Bella Abzug, Carolyn Smith, Bobby Seale, Wilson Riles.

The Crown. Season 1. (4 discs, 599min., 2017) The British Empire is in decline, the political world is in disarray, and a young woman takes the throne ... a new era is dawning. Queen Elizabeth II is a 25-year-old newlywed faced with the daunting prospect of leading the world's most famous monarchy while forging a relationship with legendary Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.

Hannah Arendt (113min., 2013) A biopic of Hannah Arendt, the influential German-Jewish philosopher and political theorist. Arendt's reporting on the 1961 trial of ex-Nazi Adolf Eichmann in The New Yorker, controversial both for her portrayal of Eichmann and the Jewish councils, introduced her now-famous concept of the "Banality of Evil."

Lynne Sachs. Volume 1. : a collection of films exploring women, culture, science & myth (65min., 2005) Through the mediums of film and video, Lynne Sachs has investigated political, feminist, and historical issues in an intimate way that engages the viewer and forces them to think.

Mrs. President Women and Political Leadership in Iran ( 47min., 2002) In the summer of 2001, 47 Iranian women neither affiliated with nor supported by any political party registered themselves as candidates for the presidential elections. Due to the Guardian Council's interpretation of a clause in the constitution, none of the women were allowed to run. This documentary presents the thoughts and opinions of six female candidates who agreed to be interviewed, along with the commentary of two female Iranian journalists who cover political developments for magazines in their country.

Not for ourselves alone : the story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony / a film by Ken Burns and Paul Barnes (180min., 1999) Presents the history of women's suffrage in the United States through the dramatic, often turbulent friendship of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan Anthony. Part 1 covers the years from their youth up to the establishment of the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1868. Part 2 spans the period from 1868 to the passage in 1919 of the 19th amendment to the Constitution which gave women the vote.  part 1. Revolution, part 2. Failure is impossible.

The Road of Women: Voices of Irish Women Political Prisoners (60min., 2005) The voices of women prisoners take us on a journey to Northern Ireland, a journey into and out of prison, a journey of personal and political struggle and growth. Through interviews, news footage and recovered letters--many written in tiny print on squares of toilet paper and smuggled out of jail--Thompson's film provides a sobering account of the travails of Irish women political prisoners.

Running in High Heels (two versions, 90min., & 50min., 2005) Documentary explores various aspects of women, politics, feminism, fashion and tradition. The story follows the political campaign of Emily, an engaging but untried 29 year-old woman, as it posits the question: Should women vote for women, regardless of politics? Interwoven with Emily's story are a chorus of powerful women from the left and right of American politics, from comically conservative old-timer Phyllis Schlafly to Rosalind Wiseman, whose books begat the movie Mean Girls.

SNCC 50th Anniversary Conference. Volume 13, Arkansas, Cambridge, MD, Danville, VA: "Everybody say freedom" (83min., 2011) Panelists reflect on the events in Danville -- the "Last Capital of the Confederacy" -- where SNCC engaged in dramatic protest against segregation and experimented with economic challenge. Discusses the significant and unique struggle in Cambridge, Maryland where the protests were led by an older woman from a prominent family. In addition to fighting to end segregation, Cambridge's agenda included health care, housing and work-force issues. Arkansas may have been the only place in the South where SNCC was invited in by a semi-official organization.

Washington Wives ( 89min., 2006) A piercing look at the personal side of the 2004 presidential campaign through the eyes of four women on the inside. Teresa Heinz Kerry, heiress and wife of Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry. Shot on the campaign trail, Teresa talks openly about lack of privacy and nasty press reports regarding her personality. And Elizabeth Edwards, wife of young Senator and presidential candidate John Edwards. Mrs. Edwards sets off full of hope, campaigning with the couple's three children, not yet battered by the process of the primary. Then there's Judy Steinberg Dean - the woman whose absence came to define the 2004 election season for women. Her refusal to leave her private practice and join husband Dr. Howard Dean on his campaign won her many admirers, but also brought speculation that her choice might have cost her husband his candidacy.

Women of Latin America (13 episodes, 60min. ea., 2004) This documentary series looks at Latin America through its women. Some of them transport drugs across borders, fight in rebel armies, bear children in poverty, search for sons and daughters who have vanished during political oppression, and generally bear the burden of living a third-world existence. Other women, teachers, engineers, deputies, ministers and even a president, contribute their stories. But it also shows the struggle against great odds to survive racial and class discrimination, revolution, political injustice and chronic economic instability.

Women of the Gulag ( 56min., 2019) The documentary film Women of the Gulag tells the compelling and tragic stories of six women as last survivors of the Gulag. Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago largely tells of the men caught in Stalin's camps and special settlements for 'crimes against the state'. Women of the Gulag, features six women in their eighties and nineties as they tell their stories while going about their daily lives in remote Urals villages, in break-away Sukhumi, or in Moscow suburbs. 

• Gender Studies Libguide 
• Political Science Libguide

• Branches of the U.S. Government - learn about the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the U.S. government.
• Center for American Women and Politics (@Rutgers University) - Facts and historical data on women candidates and office holders.
• Institute for Women's Policy Research - We win economic equity for all women and eliminate barriers to their full participation in society. As a leading national think tank, we build evidence to shape policies that grow women’s power and influence, close inequality gaps, and improve the economic well-being of families.
• League of Women Voters Bloomington Monroe County -  Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy, The League of Women Voters, is a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through advocacy and education.
• National Women's Political Caucus - The National Women's Political Caucus is a multi-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to increasing women’s participation in the political process. NWPC recruits, trains and supports pro-choice women candidates for elected and appointed offices at all levels of government. In addition to financial donations, the Caucus offers campaign training for candidates and campaign managers, as well as technical assistance and advice. State and local chapters provide support to candidates running at state and local levels by helping raise money and providing crucial hands-on volunteer assistance.