Star Wars and the Awakening of Feminism: Episode VII Is a Feminist's Dream Come True

Since its creation in the 1970s, the Star Wars franchise has never been big on gender representation. Although both trilogies had iconic female characters like Princess Leia and Queen Padme Amidala, both came to us neatly wrapped in Hollywood tropes and gender stereotypes.

While Leia's strong character, who was also a badass leader, was exemplary for her time, her gratuitous appearance in the gold slave bikini burnt 70s feminism to the ground, and women's empowerment had to start from scratch in the sci-fi world.

The prequel trilogy started out well with Padme — a young Queen who is a political prodigy of sorts — but her badassery fizzled out as soon as the franchise turned her into the swooning love interest of the unstable Anakin Skywalker, and one who dies for literally no good reason (except of course, the screenwriter's convenience).

The latest instalment of Star Wars, however, made us fangirls spontaneously explode with happiness like a destroyed death star. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is feminist and it doesn’t even try to make a radical statement while at it.

Not only the lead roles, but even some minor aspects of the film proved that the fantasy and sci-fi world doesn’t necessarily need to be an exclusive boy’s club. This film is definitely a win in terms of progress and gender equality, and here are some reasons why we simply loved it and urge everyone to watch it.

Careful for spoilers, if you haven’t seen the film yet.

The protagonist is female, and a total badass.

Star War’s newest Jedi, Rey, is a girl who is a survivor, who can hold her own in battle, and be a total badass while at it. She isn’t a silent bystander, who needs rescuing at the hilt of the fight when the antagonist is delivering the final blow. She is an active participant in the fight who makes the audience experience the intensity and tension she is going through.

She is also, by no means, a damsel in distress, and her gender is secondary to her storyline and character. Even incidental, some would say, as her being female is of no significance or importance to her overall character development in the film. She is simply a better warrior, a skilled pilot, and scavenger who just happens to be a woman. Additionally, nowhere in the film is she sexualised, and her attire throughout resembles the erstwhile gender-neutral comfortable jedi garb. The cherry on this feminist Star Wars icing was the absence of a blatant romantic arc for Rey.

The film passes the Bechdel test.

The Bechdel test, a popular parameter to gauge the presence of women in films, is a simple yet effective way of knowing if a film’s gender representation quotient is strong, or even there for that matter. This film passes the Bechdel test with flying colours and it gives a certain depth to even minor characters like Lupita Nyong’o’s Maz Kanata, and Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma. Substantial conversations occur between Maz and Rey, and Rey and Leia, and at no point does one feel like they need to be taken any less seriously than the men.

Women are in positions of power.

In the universe that is set in a timeline 30 years after its original trilogy, things seemed to have evolved politically and socially. After seeing how seamlessly this galaxy far far away could manage fantastically with women in powerful leadership roles, one only hopes the real world would get inspired and follow suit by giving women the opportunities they deserve. General Organa, Captain Phasma, Rey, and even Maz Kanata’s characters are empowered and we couldn’t have asked for more from their brilliant portrayals.

Women are not objectified or seen as sexual objects at any point.

Apart from their influential portrayals in the film, the women have been given another special responsibility — to dismantle the male gaze. After Leia’s iconic Danish pastry hairdos and slave bikini costume, her appearance in her pilot attire as General Leia Organa completely demolished her erstwhile ‘brave-but-still-a-distressed-damsel’ image and gave her a certain amount of power. Leia has finally been given her due as an able leader, and we’re simply loving that the franchise wasn’t afraid to show how she aged.

On the dark side, Captain Phasma’s appearance is revolutionary in its own way for the sci-fi world, as her voice is very obviously female but her attire is just as cyborg-ish as any other stormtrooper and she is always completely covered from head to toe in her metal military suit.

With the arrival of this spectacular space saga and more women being made a part of the sci-fi and fantasy genre on the whole, like Imperator Furiosa and Jessica Jones, things are definitely looking up at least in terms of the genre that was always an unofficial men’s club. If you still haven’t started following the series, now’s a good time to start, for simply understanding how society has evolved ever since, and how feminism went from becoming a political statement, like Leia's rebel alliance, to a way of life, like Rey's on ground badassary.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is an absolute must watch on the whole.

May the feminist force be with you.