The Shortcomings of #Girlboss feminism: Why we can never achieve true liberation under capitalism
Content Warning: harmful corporate practices of colonial violence, racialization of poverty, exploitation of the working class
Growing up as the child of a first-generation settler who, by her own description, is a ‘progressive working woman’, I grew up with the mindset that if I studied hard enough and checked all the right boxes, that I might have a chance at being rich and powerful. I wanted to be independent. I wanted to be self-sufficient without a spouse. I didn’t want to be financially dependent on a man. I wanted to be empowered, to be a ‘sheEO’, to ‘break the glass ceiling’. You might relate to this, you might have family or friends who do, or you might’ve just read slogans like ‘girl boss’ printed in a cursive font on a coffee mug. Nevertheless, you’ve encountered third-wave feminism, the movement of corporate female empowerment.
For many young womxn growing up in Western society, we have framed our image of success exclusively under capitalism. We’ve been taught by third-wave feminists that our goal as young womxn should be to be as successful as a rich man. We’ve been taught that instead of being ourselves, instead of achieving our own definition of success, that our goal should be to be ‘as successful as a man’.
Don’t get me wrong, third-wave feminism has made steps forward for the representation and visibility of some white womxn in positions of financial power. However, I believe that its time for feminists to move forward from this narrative of corporate empowerment. I’m not saying that we’ve reached true equality in the corporate world, I’m saying that the structure and role of large corporations will never allow for equality. As many class conscious feminists know, capitalism was never built for the success of all. It thrives off of the oppression of others.
Currently, the ten richest people in the United States own 70% of the nation’s total wealth,1 none of them are womxn, none of them are BIPOC.2 These ten men control the majority of wealth in a nation where money is power, they each have billions to their names. But they didn’t earn this money, no billionaire does. Exorbitantly affluent folks like Jeff Bezos don’t earn the billions to their name; Bezos lives in luxury while he actively exploits workers who often barely earn a liveable wage and are actively inhumanely worked to exhaustion.3 To be blunt, his success is merely built on stepping on the backs of those under him.
No matter how the rich may identify, regardless of if they’re a womxn, queer, BIPOC, or trans, there’s no such thing as an ethical billionaire. To earn a billion dollars, you would have to work for 21 000 years at US minimum wage ($7.25 USD), this is frankly impossible without the exploitation of workers. The movement of corporate female empowerment argues that womxn should be included in the 10 richest, and in turn advocates for more female CEOs. #Girlboss calls for thriving within the system, yet the movement turns its back to the crumbling and corruption of the system itself.
Harmful practices of low unliveable wages, poor treatment of workers, workplace harassment, and undertones of racism, ableism, and classism make up the foundations of corporate culture. Often, hopes of having a womxn as CEO or ‘girl boss’ is to create a less hostile, less bigoted working environment. However, the 'girl boss' movement doesn’t exist without oppression and ignorance, it in itself is the epitome of white girl privilege. Positions of power under capitalism aren’t filled by white folks by coincidence, there has been a long winded history of both state-sanctioned and societal oppression of BIPOC, queer, neuro-divergent folks, and folks with disabilities. Western countries, specifically those on Turtle Island, which some of us call North America, have codified a system in which poverty is criminalised. Generational poverty and the radicalisation of poverty will never allow for a young white womxn and a young Black womxn to stand on the same playing field in the fight for success under capitalism. Not only does #Girlboss feminism push an ignorant and racist narrative, but it ignores the ongoing colonial narratives and violence pushed by the top 1% today. Many corporations, based in the United States, continue to exploit workers in the global south subjecting them to harsh, often life threatening, working conditions. Sexism and patriarchal power structures are deeply rooted in colonial and capitalistic practices themselves, consequently, working to be ‘liberated’ and ‘empowered’ within those structures is a false virtue. The floral aesthetic imagery of #Girlboss feminism isn’t liberatory at all, simply put, it is pink painted capitalism.
1 "• Chart: The Top 10 Percent Own 70 Percent of U.S. Wealth ...." Accessed October 8, 2020. https://www.statista.com/chart/19635/wealth-distribution-percentiles-in-the-us/.
2"Forbes 400 richest list 2019: Jeff Bezos, Bill ... - USA Today." Accessed October 8, 2020. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/10/03/forbes-400-amazon-ceo-remains-richest-person-us-despite-divorce/3849962002/.
3"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slams billionaires for exploiting ...." Accessed October 8, 2020. https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/aoc-accuses-billionaires-exploiting-workers-paying-slave-wages-2020-1-1028842799.
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