It’s no secret that gender inequality is a persistent issue these days, but the root of the problem goes back much further.
There’s even evidence to suggest the problem existed a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Sorry, Han Solo, couldn't help myself. In case that godawful joke didn't give it away, I'm talking about Star Wars—and yeah, I might be a little preoccupied with the series now that "The Force Awakens," the series' long-awaited seventh installment, is in theaters. What can I say, I've been a fan since age eight!
But hear me out, this is going somewhere.
The fact is, the Star Wars franchise is so revered by so many fans, it’s easy to overlook some of its flaws. For instance, the women of the Star Wars universe—both fans and characters alike—have been excluded and shortchanged throughout the history of the franchise.
Case in point: The original trilogy may have given us Princess Leia, undisputedly one of best characters and all-around badasses this side of Tatooine, but did you know that women other than Leia speak for a grand total of 63 seconds in the entire original trilogy?
My thoughts exactly, Your Highness.
Sadly, this disparity isn’t just confined to the films. Star Wars has long been considered a “boys’ thing” by many of the companies who profit off the franchise. As a result, the Star Wars brand has traditionally been marketed to men and boys, creating a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy wherein the only people "allowed" to like something become the people most likely to like said thing. (For an illustration of this stereotype in its purest form, check out SNL's recent spoof of male Star Wars toy collectors.)
Want evidence that this bias exists? Just look at how some companies chose to release new products in the lead-up to "The Force Awakens."
The sports apparel company Under Armour recently took a beating on social media when it neglected to include merchandise for girls and women in the rollout of a new Star Wars-themed line. (They’ve since fixed that.)
Hasbro, one of the few toy manufacturers that still divides its products by gender, markets its Star Wars toys specifically to boys.
Fans also took to Twitter to voice their concern over an apparent lack of female characters on store shelves, echoing similar protests involving blockbusters like Guardians of the Galaxy.
I'm so turned off by @target. No #PrincessLeia or #Rey to be found. Leaving the store NOW. #wheresrey#wewantleiapic.twitter.com/L74tNmjJ7b
— temasls (@temasls) November 30, 2015Leia may have been promoted to general in the films, but in toy aisles it seems she’s still a second-class character.
None of this makes sense to me, to be honest. I’m a guy who loves Star Wars, but I can promise you I wasn’t born clutching a lightsaber. My fandom has nothing to do with my gender and everything to do with my awesome downstairs neighbor who introduced my siblings and me to the films as kids.
(Frankly, my younger sister is every bit as much a fan as I am—and would be twice the Jedi I’d ever be, judging from how often she won our backyard duels with plastic lightsabers.)
Why should companies like Hasbro and Under Armour get to decide what kids should and should not like? Why should a universe as vast and rich as that of Star Wars limit its women to a minute of decent screentime?
The truth of the matter is, they shouldn’t. The good news is, the powers that be may have finally gotten the message.
Let’s start with the fact that “The Force Awakens” is loaded with strong characters played by women, so much so that it apparently passes the Bechdel Test (a tongue-in-cheek test of a film’s gender parity whose sole requirement is that at least two female characters engage in conversation about something other than men.)
Chief among those strong female characters is Rey, a desert-dweller played by Daisey Ridley, who in the official trailer can be seen wielding a fearsome-looking staff and piloting a speeder.
Official Rey poster for #TheForceAwakenspic.twitter.com/kimPayAcLW
— The Force Awakens (@EpisodeVII) November 4, 2015Not only does Rey sound like an epic character, she’s already generating a ton of buzz as a toy. Long before the film hit theaters, retailers were reporting through-the-roof demand for Rey-related merchandise, which may have actually contributed to the aforementioned shortages and resulting #WheresRey hashtag. (It remains to be seen whether her popularity will hit "Frozen" levels of insanity.)
Parent company Disney is apparently waiting to release even more Rey merch until after the film is out, so as to avoid spoilers.
The surging popularity of Star Wars' newest female characters is a big deal. It means companies are going to have do more to reflect the diversity of the Star Wars universe and its fans. If not, they risk alienating shoppers who want to see their favorite characters on store shelves, and missing out on their share of the $5 billion in merchandise sales the film is expected to generate in its first year alone.
Companies should also take this opportunity to recognize that, one, girls are perfectly capable of liking Star Wars, and two, they deserve every chance to fall in love with the series. Whereas gendered toy labels unfairly restrict kids, we know that gender-neutral labels empower children by letting them choose their own interests. That’s why retailers like Toys R Us are saying "so long" to gender-neutral store layouts.
Of course, things like gender-neutral toy aisles are part of a much larger conversation about how to give women and girls everywhere the same opportunities as their male counterparts. But when a girl is denied equal opportunities to play, it can have a constricting influence throughout her life as she absorbs gender norms. And this hurts society as a whole. Simply put, women and girls hold the key to a more vibrant, prosperous world. Recognizing this, the UN made gender equality goal number five in its Global Goals to end extreme poverty by 2030.
No culture or country can expect to achieve its full potential while simultaneously restricting half its population through exclusionary policies in education, the workplace, and so on. With any luck, giving women and girls their due in a galaxy far, far away will translate to more gender equality a little closer to home.
When it comes to gender equality, "there is no try—only do, or do not" (to quote Yoda). Click TAKE ACTION NOW to make gender equality YOUR New Year's Resolution and show your support for the Global Goals.