In Janice Liedl’s article “Witches vs. Women: What Muggles Could Learn from Wizarding History,” she talks about the differences between how women’s roles have changed throughout history in both the Muggle and wizarding worlds. She talks about how the wizarding world was far ahead of the Muggle world in terms of gender equality since “from the earliest histories of the wizarding world, we learn of powerful witches who played an important role in their society, schools, and government” (Liedl, 246).

I thought it was interesting how J. K. Rowling decided to make sexism a nonissue in the wizarding world. Instead of outright saying that they didn’t have sexism as a problem like in the Muggle world she shows us by having strong and powerful women not just in the Harry Potter books but all throughout magical history. Long before Muggle women were even allowed to vote or own their own property “Artemisia Lufkin took the highest office in the wizarding world as Minister for Magic” (Liedl, 249). In not having strong women being an issue in the wizarding world, J. K. Rowling helps normalize strong women. Normalizing the idea of having strong women is a good step toward having more gender equality in our society

One of the strongest female characters we meet in the Harry Potter universe is Molly Weasley. Even though she meets the stereotypes of a woman by being a full-time mother with a lot of kids there is so much more to her than that. All at the same time she is a full-time mother she was also an active member of the Order of the Phoenix both times Voldemort was in power. She also showed her true power when she killed Bellatrix defending her children “’you – will – never – touch – our – children – again!’ screamed Mrs. Weasley…. Molly’s curse soared beneath Bellatrix’s outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart… and then she toppled….” (OOTH, 736, 737). Molly had the power and skill not only to fight Bellatrix, another powerful witch, but also to kill her.

No world is perfect, however. Despite the fact that the wizarding world seems to be free of sexism it “was an environment where magical ability, not gender, determined members’ choices and status” (Liedl, 246).  Since the wizarding world is this magical place that one would think it would be perfect and free of all inequality it is not without issue. One could argue that since the wizarding world has people in it is bound to be flawed since people are flawed. There will always be those people who want more, don’t agree with the way things are and want to change it, for better or worse.

So instead of having sexism be the central issue in the wizarding world we get blood purity as the main societal issue. This is an idea we are introduced to very early in the books before we even get to Hogwarts when Draco Malfoy is talking about Muggle-borns in Madam Malkin’s “’I really don’t think they should let the other sort in, do you? They’re just no the same, they’ve never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families.’” (SS, 78). Before Harry is introduced to the idea of someone who is Muggle-born he encounters someone is bashing on them. Luckily, Harry knows that he doesn’t like Malfoy right away and doesn’t become friends with him.

The wizarding world seems to be filled with women in power so sexism pretty clearly isn’t an issue. Despite that fact, it isn’t without issue. No society is perfect and Harry Potter’s wizarding world is no different. The wizarding world is plagued with the issue on blood purity that is something we are introduced to almost immediately as we enter into the wizarding world with Harry for the first time.