There are plenty of authors who have figured out how to tell stories with women who play an important role. I'd add George R.R. Martin to that list: as with Jordan, one can (and should) consider the problems with the execution, but the women are undeniably there and doing things.

I mean, heck -- I find it telling that the showrunners for the upcoming Wheel of Time series were, last I heard, treating Moiraine as the main character for the purposes of the first season. The fact that you can even do that (without wildly rewriting the story) tells you a lot about that series; one could not imagine doing the same for this one.