There are some things us ’90s babies will never forget. The torture of dial-up internet, the politics of Bebo Top 8, and growing up on a cultural diet of Game Boy, the Spice Girls and Disney. In fact, Disney was our identity. We knew every song, had every keychain, and Disneyland was basically our Mecca. But more importantly, those stories gave us some of our first female role models.
OK, some of the old-school storylines weren’t exactly feminist manifestos – you know, the ones where ‘happily ever after’ meant finding a prince and falling in love. But Disney has brought us increasingly feminist princesses that are way more than damsels in distress waiting to be necked by some random guy. Over the years, these animated women have taught us valuable lessons in courage, kindness and what it means to be a woman.
That’s exactly what World Princess Week, held between 20 and 26 August, aims to celebrate. From the release of a new song Like A Princess by Ana Kohler to all the new Disney Princess content dropping on Disney+, the brand will celebrate the timeless magic and beloved storytelling of Disney princesses, and the joy and inspiration they provide all over the world.
To join in the celebration of Disney’s leading women, we’ve rounded up the most empowering moments from our favourite Disney heroines…
When Mulan bested all the male soldiers (1998)
From the get-go, we learn that Mulan isn’t one for outdated gender norms. She knows there are other ways to prove herself to her family other than getting married. When she disguises herself as a man named Ping to take the place of her elderly father in the army, she ends up outdoing all the male soldiers in warfare with her strength, dexterity and brains, and heroically saves the day.
Mulan even acknowledges the masculine stereotype that men are strong and fearless fighters, while women are not. When General Shang discovers Ping is in fact Mulan – a woman – he not only leaves her to freeze to death on a mountain (bit harsh), but refuses to heed her warning about an impending attack from the Huns. To which she responds, “You said, ‘Trust Ping’. Why is Mulan any different?” Mulan’s strapline may as well have been, ‘Anything men can do, women can do better.’
When Tiana was the definition of ‘work hard for your dreams’ (2009)
Tiana from The Princess And The Frog, is Disney’s first Black princess and an extremely ambitious and hardworking chef. She works two jobs at different diners to save up enough money to one day open a restaurant of her very own. While there is a love interest in Prince Naveen, his character – spoilt and entitled – is in stark contrast to Tiana’s, who is undeniably dedicated and fiercely independent. Tiana herself describes Naveen as a ‘no-count, philandering, lazy bump on a log’. It is Tiana who teaches him how to prepare food, Tiana who saves him from alligators, and Tiana who makes a raft for them to cross the river. Naveen is often shown as much weaker and totally reliant on Tiana, and you know how much we love to see those gender roles subverted.
When Moana did basically anything (2016)
Probably Disney’s most progressive female character (and first ever Polynesian princess), Moana sails across the ocean facing both physical and psychological barriers to save her island. Not only is marriage not her aim, but romantic love isn’t even relevant to the film – she proves that princesses are capable of writing their own story without the help of a man. She has close bonds to the women in her life, where women have typically been pitted against each other. She isn’t hypersexualised nor does she have bizarre body proportions; instead, animators deliberately opted for a more representative, stronger build. She – a young woman, not a typically ‘heroic man’ – is being counted on to save her tribe. She is a feminist icon.
When Jasmine stood up for herself and her future (1992)
OK, the film may be named after its male protagonist, but it’s Jasmine, the OG Disney baddie, who is the true hero of Aladdin for us. Right from the start, we learn that Jasmine is a strong-willed, independent woman who won’t let anyone control her life. She rejects her arranged marriage and her father’s patriarchal rules, escapes the palace, and makes it clear that if she does marry (not ‘when’), it must be for love, not royal lineage.
She stands up for herself – “How dare you, all of you, standing around deciding my future!” – she helps defeat Jafar and save the day, and ends up with the man she chooses (after making him earn her forgiveness, of course). Plus, they don’t even get married until the third film, because our girl Jas is not one to rush into the institution of marriage.
When Merida rejected all the gender norms (2012)
Brave focuses on a mother-daughter relationship, a far more interesting and progressive plot than any romantic pursuit – in fact, it’s rare for princesses to even have mothers outside of the classic wicked stepmother in traditional fairytales, so 10 feminist points to Brave from the off.
The protagonist Merida is a powerful and skilled young woman who rejects the gender norms and princess stereotypes forced on her. She likes archery, horse riding, and the great outdoors. She rejects the idea of arranged marriage, not in favour of ‘finding true love’, but because she’s just happy as a single gal. When discussing marriage, she even says, ‘I may never be ready for this.’ For Merida, her ‘happy ever after’ was spending time with her mum and enjoying her ‘un-girlie’ hobbies.
And lessons from a Queen…
When Elsa sang an entire anthem about being true to yourself (2013)
Frozen earnt its feminist credentials from the off because it was a Disney film exclusively about its female characters and their sisterly love for each other. In fact, it’s this love between women that saves the kingdom, not their quest for rando male suitors with impossibly large biceps.
Elsa and Anna exhibit autonomy and agency throughout the film, and the film’s universally adored Oscar-winning ballad Let It Go isn’t about traditional romantic love, but a rallying cry to being true to who you are and not giving a damn what anyone else thinks. Songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez have even said the lyrics are about the pressures of perfectionism faced by women and girls. Elsa’s the empowering princess every girl needs.
Stream all your favourite Disney Princess films on Disney+.
