Presence of Women in Star Wars

After watching the recently released teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, I began to look into the growing presence of women both on screen and behind the scenes of the franchise. The Force Awakens (2015) introduced the character Rey played by Daisy Ridley and her plotline is likely to develop significantly in the next episode. I particularly liked Rogue One (2016), revolving around the character Jyn Erso played by Felicity Jones, as it was a much more personal take on the conventions of the films. Jones' character is portrayed as an incredibly strong individual both physically and mentally. In shaping the character, director Gareth Edwards said he wanted to avoid the mistakes often made when writing female characters. I also found a really interesting article in the New York Times about women in Star Wars, with particular focus on those working behind the camera.