From Background to Main Character

This week in Women Studies Ms. O'Connell gave a presentation about women's rights, the equal rights amendment and women portrayals on TV, and how that relates to history. I found this very eye-opening. I had never really noticed that in action movies the women were always in the background and the man was always main. I had just thought of this as "normal" and had never paid much attention to it.
Ms. O'Connell also spoke about how what happens in history also plays a role on the TV screens and how a shift in history in the TV's made shows and movies have a different perception of women rather than just doing housework and taking care of children. In the '70s there was a shift in how women were perceived on TV screens due to the changes that were occurring in society. These changes include Planned Parenthood v. Danforth (1976) which gave women the right to have abortions without permission from their husband and Baird v. Eisenstadt (1972) which legalized birth control.
These important events gave way for women to have power, and they are apparent in movies and TV shows in the transition from a background character to the main character.
I watch a lot of movies in which the girl is the main character and she learns an important lesson in the end. I grew up also watching a lot of American Girl Doll movies where girls were seen as strong and able and determined and I think growing up with seeing movies such as those gave me a sense that girls were made to be the main character of a story.