Myth 9: Romance novels disempower women

Rubbish. Not modern romance. Back in the bad old days maybe... Read something current, people!!

Depending on what line or sub-genre you like to read there will be different levels of empowerment shown. Suspense/intrigue is chock-a-block with women working equally with (or sometimes senior to) a male character in resolving a crime or mystery. Harlequin Blaze and most erotic romance places women very much in control of the sexual encounters and if they're not its consensual dominance. Contemporary romances of the 'sweeter' variety are often full of challenges being faced, met and overcome by heroines who range from quietly strong to downright kick-butt. And the onus is on character development so that, if a female character is too passive or lets people walk all over her, by the end of the story she's learned how to stand tall.

These are all important messages. Even in the sub-genre that seems to get people's equity bells ringing--wildly fantastic and passionate type scenarios involving exotic locations, millionaires, sheiks or other highly alpha males--the heroine is the one person capable of bringing that dominant man to his knees. He may bully everyone else but he ultimately fails to dominate his heroine because she's more than a match for him.

This last type of category romance is often held up for scrutiny (along with some sub-sub-genres of historical romance) as portraying negative messages for readers. But when readers select those two sub-genres, they are actively choosing escapism. They're choosing fantasy. And they know it. The number of readers who might think that they actually could end up pressed tightly against a dashing sheik riding cross the desert if only she could be employed as the nanny to his Australian nephews..? I don't think so.

On the contrary...some lines of romance (particularly contemporary) deal very directly and positively with social issues that affect young (and not so young) women. Real-life issues like eating disorders, disability, psychological issues, broken families, infertility, fidelity, adoption and loyalty form the supporting framework for many romances. They provide a private and safe way for some young women to first be exposed to the issues, the values and the emotions. It gives new readers time to examine their own values and form new ones.

The role of women in society today is more complex than ever. Women lead demanding, stressful lives and they need some escapism. If they choose to take that mental and social break by tumbling into the engaging, fantastic, or diverting pages of a good romance then where's the harm? At worst we've entertained them. At best we've changed them.