As for the topic, I've never really thought of it that much, although games where women can be just as strong as the men tend to have a better playing experience for me (Skyrim and Uncharted to name two.)
As for the attractiveness, that's just media. Which is gonna sell better? The game with a normal looking girl on the cover, or a really hot girl on the cover? *Shrug* That's just how it works, and the only way to change it would be to change the thinking of millions of people.