Celebrate Women’s History Month with These Shows on WTTW
Meredith Francis
February 27, 2026
March is Women’s History Month, and WTTW is marking the occasion with programming that spotlights women’s contributions to politics, civil rights, the arts, literature, science, and beyond. Plus, this year brings new stories, with documentaries on Venus and Serena Williams, the women of the civil rights movement, renowned writer Eudora Welty, and more.
Click the schedule link for additional air times.
American Experience: Fly with Me
Sunday, March 1 at 7:00 pm on WTTW Prime
Fly With Me is a story about new frontiers for working women and the constraints of traditional notions of femininity. It's about both exploitation and activism, and pitched battles within the courtrooms of the United States. Maligned as feminist sellouts, stewardesses, as they were called, knew different: They were on the frontlines of a battle to assert gender equality and transform the workplace.
American Masters: The Disappearance of Miss Scott
Sunday, March 1 at 9:00 pm on WTTW Prime
Learn about jazz virtuoso and screen superstar Hazel Scott, the first Black American to have their own television show. An early civil rights pioneer, Scott faced down the Red Scare at the risk of losing her career and was a champion for equality.
American Masters: Roberta Flack
Sunday, March 1 at 10:30 pm on WTTW Prime
Discover music icon Roberta Flack's rise to stardom and triumphs over racism and sexism. Detailing her story in her own words, the film features exclusive access to Flack's archives and interviews with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Peabo Bryson and more.
Becoming Frida Kahlo
Monday, March 2 starting at 10:00 am on WTTW Prime
In a striking new three-part series, Becoming Frida Kahlo strips away the myths to reveal the real Frida – a passionate and brilliant artist living through extraordinary times. The series explores the major events of Kahlo's life, both personal and political, from her lifelong health problems to her complicated relationship with artist Diego Rivera, whom she married not once but twice.
Chicago Stories – Jane Addams: Together We Rise
Monday, March 2 at 2:00 pm on WTTW
This program profiles Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist Jane Addams and the cadre of women who joined her in her quest to enrich the lives of thousands of immigrants. Explore the website and stream the show any time.
Venus & Serena: The Game Changers
Monday, March 2 at 9:00 pm on WTTW
Follow the remarkable journeys of Venus and Serena Williams, two of the greatest athletes in the history of tennis. The film explores the sisters’ careers while highlighting their resilience against discrimination, bigotry, and sexism, and their contributions to tennis, fashion, and women’s rights.
Chicago Stories: Jane Byrne
Tuesday, March 3 at 2:00 pm on WTTW
This film recalls Chicago’s first female mayor. After pulling off one of Chicago’s greatest political upsets, Jane Byrne found herself caught between the political machine that shaped her and the reformers who elected her. Explore the website and stream the show any time.
Chicago Stories: Inventing Improv
Wednesday, March 4 at 2:00 pm on WTTW
It may be Chicago’s greatest cultural export: improvised theater. But this art form wasn’t created by a funny man – it was devised by a woman who wasn’t out for laughs. Explore the life and legacy of Viola Spolin, known as The Mother of Improv. Explore the website and stream the show any time.
Chicago Stories: Ida B. Wells
Thursday, March 5 at 2:00 pm on WTTW
This documentary and companion website traces Ida B. Wells’ career as a journalist, activist, and organizer in Chicago. Explore the website and stream the show any time.
Margaret: The Rebel Princess
Friday, March 6 starting at 10:00 am on WTTW Prime
In this two-part program, learn how Princess Margaret’s life and loves reflected the social and sexual revolution that transformed the western world during the 20th century, and redefined society’s image of the modern princess.
Julia Child: Best Bites
Saturday, March 7 at 4:00 pm on WTTW
Celebrate the first lady of cooking with Martha Stewart, Jacques Pepin, Vivian Howard, Marcus Samuelsson, Jose Andres, Eric Ripert, Rick Bayless, and more who share personal insights as they screen Julia's most-beloved episodes.
Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter
Sunday, March 8 at 11:00 pm on WTTW Prime
This documentary tells the inspirational story of an extraordinary woman who experienced and helped shape some of the most vivid moments and movements of the 20th century. Journalist, White House official, author, humorist, political activist, and feminist leader: over her 89 years of service, Liz Carpenter was often front and center where history was unfolding, leaving her own indelible mark on events and people.
Coronation Girls
Monday, March 9 at 10:00 am on WTTW Prime
In the summer of 1953, philanthropist Garfield Weston put together a sponsorship to send 50 girls from rural communities across Canada to visit London. A cross-country train collected each participant, beginning in the Yukon and gradually reaching the port of Montreal. There, they boarded The Empress of France and dodged icebergs across a stormy Atlantic before finally reaching Liverpool. They were soon standing in Oxford Street to witness the coronation procession of Queen Elizabeth.
The Philadelphia Eleven
Monday, March 9 at 11:30 am on WTTW Prime
This largely unknown women's rights story, introduces viewers to the trailblazers who challenged the very essence of patriarchy within Christendom and successfully created a blueprint for lasting institutional change. The film chronicles how a group of women in the Episcopal Church shared a call to become priests. After two legislative votes to make it possible for women to be ordained failed, they organized their own ordination as priests in defiance of church norms.
Women of World War II: The Untold Stories
Wednesday, March 11 at 7:00 pm on WTTW
Meet the American women who built the planes and flew them, fought on the warfront and the home front, cracked codes, and broke barriers. The “secret weapon” that helped win the war, they forever changed the world in the process.
Of the People: The Women of the Civil Rights Movement
Wednesday, March 11 at 8:30 pm on WTTW
Discover the powerful stories of Fannie Lou Hamer, Angela Davis, Dolores Huerta, and Yuri Kochiyama: four extraordinary women whose courage, intellect, and activism helped shape the course of the civil and human rights movements in America.
The Vote: American Experience
Sunday, March 15 starting at 7:00 pm on WTTW Prime
In this four-part series, meet the unsung heroes of the movement and relive the fiery, dramatic and unrelenting campaign that led to passage of the 19th Amendment, granting American women the vote and ushering in the largest expansion of voting rights in U.S. history.
Women and the Vote
Sunday, March 15 at 11:00 pm on WTTW Prime
This film interweaves these present-day interviews with rich historical elements to generate connections between New York's suffragist legacy and contemporary voters.
Antiques Roadshow: Women’s Work
Monday, March 16 at 7:00 pm on WTTW
Celebrate trailblazing women in a special hour spotlighting outstanding contributions from female athletes, artists, activists and more who left an indelible mark on the world around us through their thought-provoking objects and accomplishments.
American Masters – Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore
Monday, March 16 at 9:00 pm on WTTW
Take an intimate look at the life and career of Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin (the first Deaf actor to win) as she shares her story in American Sign Language. With credits that include Children of a Lesser God, The West Wing, and CODA, Matlin continues to champion for more inclusivity and accessibility in entertainment.
American Masters – Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House
Tuesday, March 17 at 8:00 pm on WTTW
Follow the meteoric rise of firebrand politician and activist Bella Abzug. See how her commitment to women’s rights and progressive causes upended the status quo in Washington.
Kate: A Queen for the Future
Saturday, March 21 at 9:00 pm on WTTW Prime
Kate, Princess of Wales and future Queen of England, has a nation’s hopes resting on her shoulders. Beginning her life as a commoner and marrying into royalty is a journey straight from a fairytale. But what will it mean when she finally becomes Queen Consort? And how will it affect the way she carries out her royal duties?
The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause
Sunday, March 22 at 7:00 am on WTTW
This film explores the often-overlooked years leading up to menopause. Perimenopause can begin in a woman’s mid-30s and last up to a decade, yet it remains widely underdiagnosed and misunderstood.
Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom
Sunday, March 22 at 7:00 pm on WTTW Prime
Go beyond the legend and meet the woman who repeatedly risked her own life and freedom to liberate others from slavery. One of the greatest freedom fighters in U.S. history, Tubman was an Underground Railroad conductor, a Civil War scout, and a spy.
Eva’s Promise
Sunday, March 22 at 8:00 pm on WTTW Prime
On a train to Auschwitz, 17-year-old Heinz Geiringer told his sister Eva that he hid the paintings and poetry he created during his time in hiding beneath the attic floorboards. Heinz made Eva promise if he should die in the camps, she would retrieve the artwork. Today, his story sits in the shadow of the better-known Diary of Anne Frank. After the war, Eva became the posthumous stepsister of Anne when her mother married Anne's father. While the world knows Anne's story, this film introduces Heinz, his artistry, and his sister's efforts to find and share his remarkable legacy.
American Masters – Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny
Sunday, March 22 at 9:00 pm on WTTW Prime
Hannah Arendt's story, like so many, is the story of America, and the promise of American democracy. Forced to give up her successful academic career in Germany and flee Nazi Europe, Arendt made a home in New York City, after emigrating through Ellis Island in the spring of 1941.Through resilience, courage, hard work, and luck, Hannah Arendt became the most influential and provocative political thinker of the 20th century. Today, her story and voice continue to shine a light on how to act as a private individual and public citizen in dark times.
Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella
Sunday, March 22 at 10:30 pm on WTTW Prime
This film explores the life and legacy of legal icon Rosalie Abella. The child of Holocaust survivors, Justice Abella was born in 1946 in Stuttgart, Germany, in a displaced persons camp. Her family came to Canada in 1950 as refugees. The perspective gained from her personal history shaped her legal career and in public speeches, she often intertwines her personal story with a discussion of human rights, morality and constitutional law.
Finding Your Roots: Larger Than Life
Tuesday, March 24 at 7:00 pm on WTTW
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. introduces actors Lea Salonga and Amanda Seyfried to ancestors who are every bit as dramatic as the characters they've played on stage and screen.
Martha Graham Dance Company: We Are Our Time
Fridays, March 27 and April 3 at 8:00 pm on WTTW
This two-part documentary tells the story of Martha Graham, the fiercely foundational artist, beset by conflict, competition, and inspiration, and how she forged the path for the future of modern dance. In 2026, the Martha Graham Company, America’s oldest and the longest running dance company, will celebrate its centennial anniversary.
Opportunity, Access, & Uplift: The Evolving Legacy of HBCUs
Sunday, March 29 at 11:30 am on WTTW
Examine the changes, misconceptions, and current state of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) through the personal stories of five HBCU students, the family of a Chicago high school senior debating his future, and insights from experts. Hosted by HBCU graduate and “Chicago Tonight” host Brandis Friedman. Read our interview about the documentary.
Eudora
Sunday, March 29 at 12:00 pm on WTTW
This film explores the life of the renowned writer Eudora Welty through intimate photographs and charming interviews with family and friends set against the backdrop of Jackson, Mississippi.
Finding Your Roots: The Butterfly Effect
Tuesday, March 31 at 7:00 pm on WTTW
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. introduces actors Debra Messing and Melanie Lynskey to their roots, telling stories of ancestors who made bold decisions that reshaped their families.
