GENDER EQUALITY :

a whole new world
a new fantastic point of view
no one to tell us no
or where to go
or say we’re only dreaming

We can’t make three wishes for equality. We have to fight for it on our own to create this shining, shimmering, splendid new world.

Princess Jasmine fights for it constantly, representing so many of the opportunities women should be fighting for. Jasmine is in an unique position where her entire role is wrapped up in a battle for love and a commitment to an old, oppressive law. She seeks a life filled with love and freedom of choice, but is bound to a law with strict restricitions that dictate her future. She represents the importance of understanding the law and more importantly understanding when it needs to change.

There is never a point in the movie when Jasmine isn’t aware of her situation. She makes strategic choices and knows her value, both as a woman and a political bargaining chip. The way she pays attention to her surroundings allows her to fight for the freedom she so longs for: a freedom to create a life of happiness.

We should admire how she is always cunning, not ruthless, and importantly never a snake. We don’t hear her plans or thought processes like we do Jafar’s, but they are both clearly creating strategies that give them what they want. While those plans turn Jafar into a literal snake, Jasmine never resorts to cruelty. She is driven by a desire to find love and create a more accepting society.

If we fight for equality, but cut each other down in the process, is there even a prize left to win?

I love that Jasmine realizes the weight of her choice for marriage, but refuses to accept anything less than what she wants. She knows that she could be a valuable piece in a political wager, but literally refuses to be the prize of any of these propositions.

When she refuses to be seen as a mere object, she empowers every child watching this movie to see women in the same light. She is in control of her life and her love and that is the type of role model we should look up to. Aladdin always respects the fact that it is her choice, but simply tries to be the best version of himself for her and impress her with 75 golden camels. Even though it is sometimes clouded in lies (details), his heart is in the right place and he never forces her hand.

No matter how hard a man tries to woo us or win us, we have the right to choose them.

We can demand the same things as her. We can demand a life, a love, a job, that makes us beyond happy based on nothing but our own judgement. We should be fighting for a whole new world of gender equality where no one sees us a prize to be won, where we can just bee ourselves and that will be enough. We should fight so that everyone has the same opportunity. And we should cut down every snake in our path.