The rise (and fall) of the GirlBoss - by Esmee Brooke

In 2014, Nasty Gal founder and self-made businesswoman Sofia Amoruso published her memoir, entitled “#Girlboss”. According to Amoruso, a “girlboss” is “someone who has big dreams and is willing to work hard for them.” The term went viral on twitter, becoming a rallying cry for disenfranchised young women who felt as though they did not see themselves represented in the workplace. For a

while, the “girlboss cult” reigned supreme, with celebrity endorsements, dedicated Instagram followings, and slogan t-shirts probably made by underpaid female workers in fast-fashion sweatshops. The term has over 6.5 million tagged pictures on Instagram, mostly portraits of impeccably dressed women smiling in their office chairs cutesy inspirational quotes on pink backgrounds, or attractive girls sporting “girlboss” t-shirts, jumpers, hats, and mugs.

At first, it appeared to be a turning point: women were being encouraged to, fashionably, take businesses into their own hands and rise to the top. But soon, the girl boss began to lose her glow.

By the late 2010s women began to notice the infantilizing nature off the term, how it put emphasis on their femininity first, and their role as a boss second. There is no similar term for men, no “#boyboss” campaign. The term, like “momtrepreneur” and “she-EO”, assume male dominance in a field: reinforcing the status quo of men’s power in the workplace. The “girlboss” becomes a non-threatening force, in her pink power suit she is “fierce” but never steps out of line and a “queen” but never subjugating her male co-workers. If a woman’s successes still need to be packaged prettily to be made appealing to men, then no progress is being made.

Femininity, and female success, do not need to be palatable: in fact, this false marketing causes real issues to be swept under the rug. There is nothing particularly sexy about the gender pay gap or the need for affordable childcare. The girlboss attitude inspires women to gloss over these issues; to be strong and independent but above all non-complaining.

While Sofia Amoruso has undoubtedly had an amazingly successful career and shown countless women that they too can succeed in the world of business, the time has come to retire the term. Powerful women should get rid of the monikers, and just simply be bosses.

by Esmee Brooke