#Girlboss: The Exploitation of Women in the Workforce and in Society

CHRISTINE SORIANO

For centuries, women have been pressured to conform to societal standards. In many cultures, women are expected to uphold certain behaviors and lifestyles.

This started to change in the late 20th century when the “working girl” archetype started garnering attention. During this time, women, especially those in richer countries, received education. This was the start of the “working girl” era, where women were encouraged to pursue careers and become part of the workforce.

In 2014, the word “girlboss” was popularized by author and businesswoman Sophia Amoruso in her book, “#Girlboss”. The original girlboss image consists of a hyper-feminized career woman against the backdrop of a traditionally masculine corporate setting— think Elle Woods from Legally Blonde.

The girlboss phenomenon was a monumental moment for modern feminism in the early 2010s. It gave women muchneeded representation in the workforce. Before this, there was a clear struggle to see distinct representations of women in powerful positions.

Initially, this may seem like a good thing. ‘Finally, gender roles are being abolished!’ But, no.

Instead of the roles and responsibilities being balanced between the sexes, women somehow kept all their prior responsibilities before they entered the workforce. This means that during the girlboss era, women were balancing their careers on top of taking care of their kids, keeping their houses clean, preparing food for their families, and keeping their partners happy.

In the recent centuries, this is the only time you would see so many women in power. Take, for example, the fact that, for the first time in its 68-year history, more than 10% of the Fortune 500 companies are led by women. The US Congress is 43% female; the Philippine Congress 28%. On top of that, countries like Switzerland, Italy, and New Zealand have female leaders. So many women in power, but so little change in the way women are treated in the workforce. Here in the Philippines, paid maternity leave only lasts for a few weeks; there are no menstrual leaves; and the pay gap between male and female workers still isn’t closing. This seems unbelievable considering over 46% of the workforce is comprised of women.

The truth is, just like how it always has been in the past centuries, women are still being taken advantage of and exploited. Women are overworked and undercompensated both in the workplace and at home, and the girlboss mentality had a significant contribution to the development of this exploitative culture.

It has taken centuries for society to get to this point in women’s empowerment, and perhaps it will take centuries more to get to the point where women are truly empowered and treated as equals in all aspects of society, but until then, the fight for equality and women’s rights shall not sleep. have not been relieved of their domestic responsibilities.