5) The Token Woman
If you subscribe to the argument that Star Wars is a social commentary that exaggerates our own reality in order to tell its story, then that could explain why each franchise entry features a Token Woman. Leia Organa, Padme Amidala, Rey, Jyn Erso – the solitary female figures that rarely get to interact with other women, but fiercely fight the good fight, nonetheless.
Of course, there are other women in the Star Wars universe. There’s Mon Mothma, who pops up briefly from time to time to sound authoritative in front of Rebellion plans. There’s Padme Amidala’s handmaidens. There’s Maz Kanata, who really only has one scene. There’s Captain Phasma, who never reveals her face. These are tiny roles, in comparison to the Token Woman, however, whereas each instalment is virtually frothing over with sizeable, consequential male roles.
Could it be that this is a nod to the sexism that remains rife throughout our own societies, or is it simply a perpetuation of the sexism that infects our entire pop culture – and movie industry, specifically? Perhaps the answer lies in the casting of each Token Woman. Yes, Star Wars regularly shows gives us a capable woman saving the galaxy, but why on Earth is it always a white, brown-haired woman?
