Since coming to college I have gone through quite a few evolutions of how I view feminism and women’s issues and the like. While I won’t go into all of that (it would take far too long and it’s not really what I want to discuss today), what I do want to talk about is the prevalence of the term #GirlBoss and why I’m not ok with it (hate is probably too strong of a word but bloggers are supposed to have controversial/provocative titles to get people to read, right?).
Ok, so here’s the deal. There is no doubt in my mind that women have faced hurdles when getting into the workforce and there are still societal expectations which play a role in the opportunities women pursue. However, I think calling ourselves “#GirlBoss” sends the wrong message. I don’t want to be a “#GirlBoss,” I want to be the boss.
When we differentiate ourselves based on gender in the workplace I believe it does more harm than good. I haven’t read the Sophia Amoruso book that began the trend, and while I am sure her story is one to be admired, I don’t think the widespread use of the term is appropriate. We can certainly have pride is being fierce females who are doing amazing work, but why can’t we look at ourselves as PEOPLE being awesome instead of GIRLS in the workplace. If we want to be treated the same as our male coworkers it seems quite counterintuitive to precede our title with our gender.
I’m not suggesting that gender be ignored or that we try to act like men. What I am saying is that we don’t need to differentiate ourselves when in a position of power. Boys can be bosses, girls can be bosses, and we’re all equally in charge (umm also, we’re women not girls…but that’s a discussion for another day).
Here’s the deal: everyone faces unique challenges, no matter what your gender. For that reason alone we should strive to keep the playing field level and not inadvertently work against ourselves by focusing on our differences instead of similarities.
As always, my opinion is subject to change (as it so often does), but I feel quite strongly that calling ourselves “#GirlBoss” isn’t doing us any good. What are your thoughts?
Leave a Reply