International Women's Day 2017: 8 must watch TV shows featuring strong female characters

International Women's Day is just around the corner and entertainment industry has always been criticised for sidelining female celebrities with supporting roles. A handful of television drama series proves that this is not completely true.

International Women's Day: Top five new movies that celebrate woman power 

As the world gears up to celebrate women empowerment and gender equality on March 8, here is a list of shows that revolves around strong female characters, such as The Good Wife, Scandal, Homeland and How To Get Away With Murder. 

Orphan Black: The Canadian thriller series,  starring Tatiana Maslany in lead role, revolves around the life of a woman named Sarah Manning, who is a con artist by profession. It focuses on how her life changes after she witnesses her doppelgänger Beth Childs committing suicide. The science fiction drama is written by Graeme Manson and director John Fawcett. 

Grace and Frankie: This is an American web television series that was created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris. This Netflix original, starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as title characters, highlights the bond between two unlikely friends who are brought together by their husbands, Robert Hanson and Sol Bergstein.

The Good Wife: Starring Julianna Margulies, this scandalous show focuses on the courtroom drama where the protagonist who is an attorney finds herself forced to return to work after a scandal leads her politician husband in prison. Watch this show to find out how litigator Alicia Florrick single-handedly deals with work pressures as well as her cheating husband.

How to Get Away with Murder: The popular show by Shonda Rhimes on ABC is not just a crime drama but the story of a brilliant, charismatic and seductive Professor Annalise Keating, who is also a defence attorney. The character, portrayed by Viola Davis, deals with the toughest cases of all times, from fraud and arson to murder.

Orange Is the New Black: The comedy drama portrays the life of American memoirist Piper Kerman and her experiences at a federal prison in New York City. The storyline of Netflix drama is based on her memoir "Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison." The character of Piper Chapman is played by Taylor Schilling.

Homeland: The Showtime series tells the story of America's relationship with the rest of world in 21st century through the eyes of a female CIA officer Carrie Mathison. The character played by Claire Danes goes through several tough situations during her fight against terrorism, but never backs down when it comes to wiping out terrorists from the globe.

Scandal: Another television series, which is said to be inspired from a real life personality is ABC's political thriller "Scandal." The Washington, DC based crisis manager Olivia Pope is played by Kerry Washington and is partially based on the life of former Deputy Press Secretary of Judy Smith. The character deals with the life of elites and is dedicated to defend and protect their public image.

Madam Secretary: The CBS drama is said to be about former United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and her struggles. The storyline of "Madam Secretary" revolves around the life of a CIA officer-turned-United States Secretary of State, Elizabeth Faulkner McCord. The character, played by Téa Leoni, is a shrewd and determined officer, who battles office politics, derives international diplomacy and circumvents protocol as she negotiates global as well as domestic issues.