For a long time husbands had been notoriously recognized for outshining, outworking and “bringing home the bacon for” their wives. After a short marriage and divorce in 1991, followed by 19 years of hard work and accomplishment, Kathryn Bigelow has shown ex-husband, James Cameron, that she’s got things covered and won’t need any favors.

Her low budget production of The Hurt Locker wowed the critics and viewers at the Academy Awards, winning 6 Oscars out of 9 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Directing by Bigelow. She is the first woman to win Best Director at the Academy Awards and after 82 years, as Barbara Streisand declared when presenting the award, “It’s about time.” Bigelow accepted the award, hoping to be “the first of many” female Academy Award winning directors and advising any young filmmaker not to give up on dreams.

That’s the kind of encouragement young people want! Kathyrn Bigelow has broken one enormous barrier in filmmaking and set an example for aspiring artists. Her accomplishment in winning the award, in addition to her repeated declaration that she thinks of herself as a filmmaker, as opposed to a female filmmaker, has certainly got a few more people shaking their heads at the gender stereotype behind the camera in show biz.

So what an appropriate way to kick-off March (Women’s History month) by adding to the female list of first’s and better yet having that moment broadcasted as a part of one of the most widely publicized events of the year.