girlboss

Girlboss is a neologism which denotes a woman "whose success is defined in opposition to the masculine business world in which she swims upstream". She's the confident and capable woman who is successful in her career, or the one who pursues her own ambitions, instead of working for others or otherwise settling in life. Popularised by Sophia Amoruso in her 2014 book Girlboss, the concept's ethos has been described as "convenient incrementalism". The term is conversely used with sarcastic and pejorative undertones, to denote women who attempt to raise their professional lives by practicing the same abusive and materialistic practices found in the patriarchal society. History The term became popular in 2014 after Sophia Amoruso used it with a hashtag prefix in her bestselling autobiography, which was adapted into a TV show of the same name. Its early usage was defined by perceived empowerment. Its popularity led to it becoming a "a template for marketing and writing about powerful women in virtually every industry". By 2019, the concept had begun to derive disdain from some women and viewed as ironic; others still believed in its worth. In 2022, Amoruso herself tweeted "Please stop using the word Girlboss thank you." Some audiences began to critique the girlboss for pursuing individual successes instead of working to weaken the forces of the patriarchy and pursue broader structural change. However, some believe that individual women's achievements can still be praised, and that this is not mutually exclusive with also working towards better workplaces and positive change on the societal level. Martha Gill of The Guardian writes that feminist movements can "push for change and help women in an imperfect world," yet still "celebrate women who succeed anyway." In early 2020, the self-regulatory organisation Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned a billboard, advertising PeoplePerHour, which read: "You do the girl boss thing we'll do the SEO thing". Later in 2020, the George Floyd protests saw a number of high-profile women executives resign after accusations of creating toxic and racist workplaces. According to Amanda Mull of The Atlantic, this time saw the "end of the girlboss" manifest in a "cultural pushback".