Being strong and independent is definitely an attractive quality, and maybe that’s what it is. I realised recently that I’m quite possibly a sigma female; it’s not something that I try to be and it’s not an act that I put on, it’s just the way I am. I sometimes hate the attention that it gets me, mostly because I’m sick of either a) unavailable people expressing an interest in me (putting me on a pedestal) or b) toxic people taking an interest in me and playing mind games with me to try and manipulate me into chasing them. Not sure if you’ve read my post regarding my neighbour (apologies if you have!), he’s one such example of me wishing my strong-willed ass wasn’t so damned desirable sometimes, but I can’t change who I am and nor would I want to 
I should add a caveat here: Being strong is not about being emotionless. There is nothing wrong with having emotions, with needing to cry, journal, vent etc. Strength is about being able to manage and process your emotions in a healthy way, it is not about not having them