Feminism Meme

I've been tagged by L Lee Lowe of the Lowebrow Blog with a Feminism Meme. The meme asks, "What are five things that Feminism has done for you ?" I can't be as witty and succinct as Lee, but these are the five things that have had the greatest impact on me as a fantasy reader:

1 - Female wizards/mages who are at least as powerful as their male colleagues.

2 - Male wizards who don't have to remain celibate for fear of losing their power (which I always felt was a slap in the face to women readers everywhere, especially when said wizards are created by women writers: yes I am looking at you Ursula K Le Guin !)

3 - Warrior women who have a feminine side and don't necessarily have to be butch lesbians, or have to disguise themselves as men in order to fight.

4 - Strong female characters (particularly girls under 18) who aren't always princesses or in need of rescuing all the time !

5 - Female characters who are equals with male protagonists, instead of simpering or giggly sidekicks (and I'm glad that Hermione has become less giggly over the years !)

This might sound rather trivial to some people, but as a lifelong fantasy reader these five things are very important to me. Although I was quite capable, as a child, of identifying with male protagonists in books, I did get a bit fed up with the fact that the girls were never the equal of the boys, and screaming female companions (a la Doctor Who's Ace) are especially annoying (which is one reason I was glad Rose developed the way she did in the new Doctor Who incarnation). I'll be interested to know the thoughts of my readers.