Strong female leads

Last night I was scrolling through Facebook, as you do, and I came across a video of the speech Reese Witherspoon made at the 2015 Glamour Women of the Year Awards. Watch or read it here. In it she talks about why she started her production company, which primarily was to make projects with strong female leads. She's such an amazing speaker and it really made me think about the emphasis on men in so much of our culture in film literature and television. So I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite things with strong female leads.

Television
Most of these TV shows are on the newer side. I think there has been a real shift in television from more ensemble projects towards those with lead characters.

Our Girl
I've been hooked to the last two series of this on BBC 1, the last series ended last night and I was devastated. It follows Lance Corporal Georgie Lane, played by Michelle Keegan, who is an army medic. It's full of action with a love story in there too and I love it, seriously check this out.
Gilmore Girls
You probably know about this unless you have been living under some sort of cultural rock. If you haven't, get on Netflix immediately, you have 7 wonderful seasons ahead of you, plus the revival of course. This follows the journeys of Lorelai and  Rory Glimore, mother and daughter over about 8 years of their lives. Again brilliant, so feel good.
Jane the Virgin
The new season of this is currently being released weekly on Netflix and I'm hooked. It's in the style of a telenovella and whilst not always believable is constantly funny and dramatic. Also Gina Rodriguez is an absolute boss woman and is amazing in this.
The Crown
The only Netflix Original in this list but is incredible. It starts Claire Foy playing Queen Elizabeth 2nd and the new series comes out on December 8th. It shows the struggles of being a woman in such a high leadership role and Claire Foy plays it perfectly. Also the fact that she started filming the first series 4 months after having a baby just shows how amazing she is.
Silent Witness
Another amazing BBC creation. Emilia Fox stars as forensic pathologist Nikki Alexander and it has the crime solving element which I love in TV. Literally every year when this ends I am counting the weeks until it returns which is normally in January. I cannot wait.

Films
Again, most of these films are modern but this really shows the active movement towards more female-centric films.

Wild
This was one of the first films made by Witherspoon's production company, and stars the great Reese herself. It's based on a bestselling book and follows a woman as she makes the journey to find herself by walking the Pacific Crest Trail.
Hidden Figures
This is such a feel good film. Following the lives of three black women who worked behind the scenes on America's space program. Literally so good. Watch it, watch it now. Preferably with someone so you have someone to chat about it with.
Mona Lisa Smile
Starring the wonderful Julia Roberts who, as my dad always says, does indeed have a lot of teeth! She's brilliant in this, not playing such a timid female object as she is in some of her earlier films. She is a History of Art teacher at an all women's university trying to find the balance between the traditional notion that these women must marry and her modern views that they should be doing something more meaningful with their lives.  Very American, although in a delightfully Gilmore Girls-ish way.
Legally Blonde
You will have seen this, again Reese in arguably her most well known film. If you have, you know what I'm talking about, if not, go and see it. Now.
The Help
It was hard for me to decide whether to put the book or film of this in this list but I think the acting in the film is so brilliant it had to be included. I love Emma Stone (can't wait to see her new film Battle of the Sexes). This shows the evident segregation in America's south and showcases the lives of black maids looking after white families.

Books
Ok, this is one category where strong female characters have been written for women by women for a long time. Although in some of these the emphasis on the home and marrying is clearly one that is no longer relevant to modern day women, it cannot be denied that all these women are forces to be reckoned with.

Little Women, Louise May Alcott
When I read this it feels like the narrator is giving me a warn hug from the past. So comforting, following four very different sisters and their journeys. Have some tissues to hand when reading the second volume.
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
The beginning of this is not the easiest read, when she's in the school you just want to cry. When you get through that its wonderful. It's so beautifully written, don't be put off by the descriptive writing style the story is beautiful.
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Once you've read this read PD James' sequel Death Comes to Pemberly which puts the characters in the midst of a murder mystery. A classic definitely worth reading, so good.
The Birth House, Ami McKay
I was given this by an old English teacher. It follows the life of a midwife in Nova Scotia trying to preserve the old ways of child birth and caring for women among the interruptions of a young male doctor trying to introduce modern technology.  Really shows the power of women in difficult conditions.
A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini
I cannot recommend this book enough. It not only taught me about the recent history of Afghanistan which I was completely ignorant of, but also follows the lives of two women of different generations, first having to live with more traditional notions about the role of women then under the strict laws of the Taliban.

Sorry for such a wordy post, I promise there will be some more pictures soon! Do you have any recommendations of strong females characters being allowed to shin through? I'd love to hear it, leave a comment below:)

Image from Amnesty International