Bingowings said:
Padme’s main action was to wear makeup and clothes (she shoots a bit in two sequences in two movies and kicks a spidercat in the nuts).
Leia is arguably the only reasonably explored female character in the series (even more than the Mos Eisley pea-strainer or the little old lady that doesn’'t sell much in Mos Espa).
Have we forgotten the entire third act of TPM exists solely because of Padmé’s decision making as a leader? She’s also the one who decides to go save Obi-Wan in AOTC. It’s only really in ROTS that she sits idly by as things go south, although a few deleted scenes give her a more active role in creating the rebellion with Bail and Mothma.
I guess if all you see in that is makeup and clothes…