What We’re Watching, Reading, and Listening To

This article was published within the December 2025 issue of the Women’s Fund’s Diane magazine.

As advocates, conveners, community members, and champions for women and girls, it’s essential that we support media created by and for women. Staying connected to current issues and engaging with thoughtful, creative content helps keep us both informed and inspired. Below is a curated list of books, articles, videos, and podcasts recommended by Women’s Fund for you to enjoy this holiday season; some are insightful, some are entertaining, and others offer a bit of both.

What We’re Watching

Shows for Holiday Binging That Pass the Bechdel Test* 

Andor

This Star Wars prequel chronicles the early days of the Rebellion against the Galactic Empire, exploring the harsh realities of fighting an oppressive regime. |Watch on Disney+

Hacks

A comedy series about an oldschool Las Vegas comedian who is forced to partner with a young and progressive comedy writer to refresh her act and career. | Watch on HBO Max

KPop Demon Hunters

When K-pop superstars aren’t selling out stadiums, they’re moonlighting as demon hunters to protect their fans from everpresent supernatural danger. | Watch on Netflix

What We’re Reading

Yield Giving Essays

These short essays written by philanthropist and novelist MacKenzie Scott explore her process of yielding funds to nonprofits. | Read at YieldGiving.com  

Lovely One

This 2024 memoir by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson chronicles her family’s rise from segregation to her confirmation as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. | Wherever you purchase or rent books

Melinda French Gates Announces Partnership to Advance Women’s Health

Melinda French Gates (founder of Pivotal Ventures) and Regina Dugan (CEO of Wellcome Leap) announced a $100 million partnership to advance women’s health initiatives. | Read at Forbes.com

What We’re Listening To

Vanished: What Happened to Vanessa

When Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillén goes missing, her family pressures the military for answers. | Listen wherever you get podcasts

Should Be Smarter by Now: Stories of Persistence, Delusion, and Occasional Success

Written by actor Issa Rae, this collection of comically insightful and candid essays chronicles her journey from digital creator to Hollywood powerhouse. | Listen on Audible

The flourishing future of women’s sports

This TED Talk was delivered by Olympic rower Kate Johnson, Global Marketing Director at Google, at TEDSports Indianapolis earlier this year. It unpacks why women’s sports are surging in popularity around the world, and yet, social media algorithms still skew towards covering men’s sports — and what it will take to level the playing field for women’s sports. | Listen on Ted.com

*If you haven’t heard of the Bechdel Test, it’s a simple way to gauge how women are represented in movies and TV shows. To pass, a story needs at least two named women who talk to each other about something other than a man. Not necessarily a measure of quality, the test promotes awareness of how women’s stories show up — or don’t —in media.

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Please note: You may notice our former name in this content, as this piece was published before Women’s Fund of Central Indiana became Women’s Foundation of Indiana. Learn more about our evolution »