A woman cutting off her hair as a symbol of defiance or change is not a new concept. This has happened many times in many different media forms.... offhand I can think of the anime/manga/live action series Hana Yori Dango. Rich girl Shizuka Toudou cuts off her long hair at her 18th birthday ball and announces she'll be going to France by her own means and becoming a lawyer for the average person, and she denounces her family name.

That's one, but there are many many many.