India, March 25 -- In the James Bond franchise, the Bond girl is less a fleshed-out character and more a male fantasy given a label.

After many years of speculation about a gender-swapped James Bond, Denis Villeneuve is making the latest James Bond film with a man in the role. And that's alright; I'd rather have a well-fleshed-out female spy than a lazy gender-swapped version. What concerns me is the concept of the "Bond girl" and the fact that it still exists within the franchise, despite being so outdated. First and foremost, the very term "Bond girl" or "Bond woman" signifies possession and a lack of agency. Her entire existence belongs to James Bond, whose name lingers around her like a phantom.

As a character, she is drawn from the...