I hate Harry Potter books. I shouldn't, but I hate them. I don't deny Harry Potter is one of the best works of fiction of my time, but I couldn't help but wonder if Potter would have made a better hero had he been a girl. I am sure Voldemort would have disapproved of being defeated by a little girl even more. But that's not Harry Potter's fault. It is JK Rowling's, and of innumerable such authors who, despite their incredible skill with words and storytelling, can't work their way around gender stereotypes while narrating stories of girls as heroes.

From books to films, you tend to see women portrayed as weak, emotional wrecks, who need men to save them. Be it Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Snow White, or even Wonder Woman, a super being who needed a man to see the wisdom in saving humanity. She just couldn't be both powerful and wise on her own. Right? While there are a few works of fiction that portray girls or even women as a strong central lead character, needless to say, the world of fiction is disproportionately male-centric.