Not reading any of the other comments, I want to get out my opion first before I lose it. >.<
I think, the reason why women are portrayed as a strong character, even if they have issues, can still deal with them, is because women have been bashed and victimized so much throughout history, literally in the real life and in fiction. Women have always been the vicitim one way or another, metaphorically, physically, ficticiously or any other way. Even if it's not plainly obvious right away.
So I think perhaps, when women are written in fiction, they are often given rolls that they could never hope to acheive in real life. It's basically a way to make the impossible, possible. And further more, since the men are always the heros and rescuers and protectors and providers, once again, in real life or fictional life, sticking them in roles that would usually be the place of a woman in a ficticious world is more attractive. Once again, making the impossible possible. People want to see roles reversed and things that would normally never happen, happen, hense the reason for role reversals.
Pretty much, the man becomes the damsel in distress while the woman become the rescuer and hero. That even goes as far as making men gay, or more femanine than usual. Giving them issues and vices that the average poster male would supposedly never have.
But also, that brings up another debate of whether the typical male really is the strong silent, providing hero or is he really a weak, scrawney deprived boy with issues like anyone else? Perhaps the authors are TRYINGA to make the male characters realistic--really real, but because those types of characters are never portrayed as such, it isn't realistic or the norm. People have become so used to what is fake, that they no longer recognize what is real anymore.
People don't like what is different. They want boring, cookie cutter lives and nothing more. They are cattle and sheep, and so when the big bad wolf comes out and throws a story at them that is not of the "norm" they "freak" out and that story only gets more attention because it is different.
Of course, I could just be blowing all this out my ass any may not be true, but meh. That's how I see it anyway.