4 Kickass Female Characters Who Have it All

Recently, there have been a spate of articles about whether or not women can have it all. Not only do I think the answer is YES, I'm a little insulted that we're even still having this conversation.

Women are warriors in every single way. The important thing to note is that not everyone's "all" is the same. Not every woman wants 2.5 kids and a white picket fence. Some women are totally okay living it up with their huge group of girls, or dedicating their lives to a career that they love.

Don't believe me? Here are some great examples of (albeit fictional) women who are kicking ass and taking names, and encouraging us to do the same.

Deborah Morgan 

Dexter

At the start of the series, Deb is a police officer working undercover as a prostitute on the vice squad of the Miami Metro Police Department alongside older brother Dexter. Six seasons later, through excellent police work, determination to succeed and a sharp eye, she's been promoted to Detective and then Lieutenant. One of Deb's prominent characteristics is her persistence, and it keeps her moving upwards in her career even when she faces personal tragedies. See: Serial killer fiancé, murdered boyfriend and sister-in-law, getting shot and kidnapped, and *SPOILER!* falling in love with adoptive brother Dexter and seeing him murder someone. 

But never mind all that... 

At the end of the day, Deb is a foul-mouthed detective who knows what she wants and goes after it. She's succeeded in her career because it makes her happy to prove herself as competent. No kids or husband in sight. For her "having it all" means being an excellent police officer, and putting criminals behind bars, and that's perfectly fine. Deb is happy being of service to the city she loves, and for her, it's all she needs.

Betty Suarez 

Ugly Betty

Betty Suarez starts the series as an aspiring writer, fresh from college, thrown into the shark pit of fashion. Working as the assistant to the Editor-in-Chief, Betty proves her worth over and over by coming up with quick solutions to problems, and continuously showing commitment to her job. By the end of the series, Betty has moved to England to start her dream job as the the Features Editor of an newly founded magazine. For Betty, "having it all" has always meant becoming a writer. She used her experiences at Mode to learn and grow, and to help her understand the ups and downs of the magazine industry. Through her ups and downs and various relationships, she never lost sight of her ultimate goal. Her stellar work ethic and dedication paid off, and in the end she was rewarded.

Cristina Yang 

Grey's Anatomy

Cristina Yang is a surgeon. She is brilliant and talented and driven and it's what defines her. After passing her boards, Cristina has several employment offers from hospitals across the country, a fact that she wickedly lourdes over her fellow doctors' heads. Even though she's been to hell and back at Seattle Grace/Mercy West, she's kept her eye on the prize, even in the face of the dissolution of her marriage. Cristina knows herself. When she became pregnant, she fought tooth and nail to make Owen understood that children were not part of the plan she had for herself, and to try to make him understand why she needed to abort. And when she found out that he cheated, although she still loved him, she made the best decision for herself by leaving the hospital to go to the Mayo Clinic. Cristina understands that in order to be happy, she needs to be okay with her personal decisions. For her "having it all" meant a job she loved and a husband who loved her. When Owen betrayed her, she didn't fall apart. She simply readjusted her plans to fit the new circumstances. After last season's cliff hanger, anything can happen, but I think it's safe to say that we can count on Cristina to know that she needs to look after her own self interests first, before trying please everyone else in her life. It's a lesson many women could stand to learn.

Leslie Knope

 Parks & Recreation

Leslie Knope is an overachiever, and of all the women on this list, she is the only one who refuses to compromise. She knows what she wants and she will have it dammit! Perky and affable, Leslie is an avowed feminist who aspires to higher office, and has numerous female role models. (whose faces sit framed around her office.) Leslie loves her town Pawnee, and strives to do everything she can to make it a better place to live, with an enthusiasm that even Ron Swanson would approve of. When she fell in love with a co-worker and began dating him against city policy, she fought to save her relationship, even after they initially broke up to save their jobs. When a campaign team dropped her as a candidate for City Council, her friends and co-workers rallied around her to replace them, knowing how dedicated she was to pubic service. For Leslie "having it all" means being an advocate for the city that she loves, celebrating her friends and being with Ben, the man she loves.

So there you have it. Kick ass women doing kick ass things.