FEMALE EMPOWERMENT may be defined as “Promoting a WOMAN’s sense of Self-Worth, and the Ability to make her own Choices.”
SCIENCE FICTION has been doing that — for decades!!! To name just a few examples:
Star Trek (1964) — Lieutenant Uhura
Nichelle Nichols caused a sensation in the 1960s (One of the first times a black woman was cast as a main character in a major television show.) Uhura is smart, capable, confident and respected by her crew for those qualities without question. In her own words. “I was projecting … what should have been quite simple. We’re on a starship. I was head communications officer. Fourth in command … They didn’t see this as being oh, it doesn’t happen till the 23rd century. Young people and adults saw it as now.”
Star Wars (1977) — Princess Leia
Princess Leia Organa — portrayed by Carrie Fisher — is a wisecracking, fearless rebel who isn’t afraid to fight dirty. She thwarts Darth Vader and helps bring about destruction of the Death Star, later commands a Rebel Base and helps rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt. Leia has been called a feminist hero and model for other adventure heroines. (No wonder!)
Alien (1979) — Ellen Ripley
Ripley — played by Sigourney Weaver — fights off extra terrestrial evil, rebels against a corporation, and manages to survive in a hostile environment where all men fail. She’s smart, tough, and riveting to watch. Entertainment Weekly called Ripley “one of the first female movie characters who isn’t defined by the men around her, or by her relationship to them”.
Terminator 2 (1991) — Sarah Conner
Sarah Conner — played by Linda Hamilton — develops from a timid damsel in distress victim in the first film to a wanted fugitive committing acts of terrorism, a hardened warrior and mother who sacrifices everything for her son’s future and is on the verge of losing touch with her own humanity, and a mentor preparing and protecting a protégée for her destiny.
The X-Files (1993) — Dana Scully
Scully — portrayed by Gillian Anderson — was resolute and logical (providing the foil to David Duchovny’s paranoid paranormal obsessive Fox Mulder) – and could close a case with a mere roll of her eyes. Dana is best known for her cool rationalism, advanced investigative skills, and fearless determination. Her biggest moments of power always involve staring down the face of danger to uncover the conspiracies of the shadow government despite the threat to her own life.
Avatar (2009) — Neytiri
Neytiri — played by Zoe Saldana — is a bold, agile warrior who meets her human/Avatar body mate Jake by saving his life. She represents justice, honesty, spiritual connectivity and a self-less defender of her entire species. Neytiri’s unflinching heroism to protect her immediate and extended family becomes a contagious addiction … that forces Jake to confront the larger moral and ethical issues that his fellow Earthlings are ignoring in the midst of their pillage of Pandora.
The Hunger Games (2012) — Katniss Everdeen
Katniss Everdeen — played by Jennifer Lawrence — has inspired a generation of young women by standing up for what she believes in no matter the consequences. Dystopian societies and totalitarian regimes are a dime a dozen in Sci-Fi, but there’s something particularly loathsome about one that uses teenagers to fight to the death for their amusement. Katniss volunteers to replace her sister in the annual Hunger Games in order to spare her life. Using her cunning, wilderness survival skills, and archery, she manages to buck the rules of the system by taking on a partner to jointly win the tournament — parlaying that success into a full-blown rebellion.
Arrival (2016) — Louise Banks
Louise Banks — portrayed by Amy Adams — lives quietly, working as a University linquist professor, until 12 mysterious Spacecraft land around the globe, sending humanity into a panic. The American military calls upon Louise to communicate with Alien “heptapods” onboard a ship. She is determined, intelligent, and patient — trying to examine things objectively and make choices based on logic, not fear. Her approach is the only one that can save humanity from itself.
Like other great SCI-FI, Female Empowerment also plays a vital role in the story of Una Waters — our central character in THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY.
In Book 1 A GLEAM OF LIGHT, Una survives a terrifying Encounter on Flight 564 at the age of eight. Twenty-one years later, a desperate plea draws Una away from a D.C. Government job back to her roots in Hopiland — to help solve a Mystery when the U.S. Army invades the Sacred Peaks. With boundless determination, Una must stand up to a stiff-necked General, to protect an Ancient Discovery and restore Peace to her people.
In Book 2 THE DRAGON’S GLARE, Una’s on Special Assignment in New York City to help solve a Chinatown Mystery. Searching for clues, she butts heads again with General Ashcroft. Unexplained acts of violence, an episode of Missing Time and an Out-Of-This-World Encounter confirm Una’s childhood beliefs in Sky People. WE ARE NOT ALONE.
In Book 3 BEYOND THE WORLD, Una’s Honeymoon Adventure in Yosemite is disrupted when Ashcroft gets called away on duty. With new friends from Explorer’s Club, Una uncovers a UFO mystery, survives deadly attacks and fights to defeat an Alien Conspiracy that threatens to end life on Earth as we know it.
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