Being a princess does not equal needing to be saved.

Young girls everywhere dream about being a princess, living in a castle and marrying a prince. As such, Disney princesses are very popular and many girls dress up as their favorite for Halloween or when playing make-believe.

The most senior members of the Disney princess ‘club’ include Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White. With each princess movie that was made, more were added into the club. Apparently, there’s some controversy over whether the newest Disney princesses should even be included in that exclusive group.

So what makes up a Disney princess? Above all else, they are role models that are seen by millions of young, impressionable kids. Girls grow up wanting to be like them, which is why it is very important for Disney to create very strong female characters for them to idolize.

The oldest Disney princess movies, like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, were about a couple of girls who were asleep most of the movie and saved at the end by a prince they barely knew but ended up marrying anyway.

As time has gone on, the Disney princesses have transformed from girls whose life ambition were to meet a handsome prince to strong-minded individuals who stand up for themselves and their oppressed families. Belle and Jasmine both questioned marriage and the lives they were expected to lead. Mulan challenged the strictest of gender stereotypes and saved the lives of many of her male friends.

Now, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Anna and Elsa (from The Princess & The Frog, Tangled, Brave and Frozen, respectively) are to be added to the list of Disney princesses. They are all strong role models in their own rights. Tiana started her own business. Rapunzel didn’t need a man to rescue her. Merida didn’t even have a love interest, but she had really cool bow-and-arrow skills and a refreshingly unconventional look. For Anna and Elsa, familial love triumphed over any external love interests.

Girls deserve to be able to pretend to be princesses, with everything that comes with it. But they also deserve to be shown role models that clearly show that they don’t need to be saved by men instead of damsels-in-distress that sing, “Someday my prince will come.”

Just because princesses nowadays don’t fit into the classic princess troupe does not mean they shouldn’t be included as an official Disney princess. Young girls deserve to be able to pretend to be their favorite princess.

Why shouldn’t that princess be a strong, independent individual? It’s the 21st century. We need some more princesses with a modern mindset and Disney princesses are moving in the right direction.