“Girls support girls, but oh wait, I just got promoted, and I only support success, so I don’t know… You do you, maybe?”
One day you’re discussing the plight of women in a capitalistic society and the corporate town tossed to them with your fellow team leader, and the next day—she’s portraying the same villain as she becomes the mayor. That is when most of us learn why it’s called a corporate ladder and not an elevator—only the ones atop get to ride. The rest are always at risk of toppling over, and no, nothing is a sign that you too will get to be up there.
“If I can do it, so can you.” Really?
The mountains that these Power Puffs surmount are flagged with claims of women’s advancement—but is that even half true? Sure, making your way through hostile higher-ups, gender-based discrimination, racism, and classism is a big feat for any woman. But it’s not valid to hail that as a whole community’s success—because it definitely is not. Those difficult seniors still remain. The undervaluation of labour still remains. A calculated, pro-male hierarchy committed to stifling women’s progress and career growth still remains. Posting on LinkedIn about your new position, captioned “Making more breakthroughs for my fellow boss ladies every day”, is like breaking a nonexistent ceiling. It hides the reality that the friendly “girl’s girl” act is majorly deceiving—otherwise, female employees under your leadership wouldn’t be victims of unreasonable pay disparity and stingy maternal leaves. One’s rank elevation does nothing to fight real workplace injustice unless it’s put to proper use—and giving false hope to the women under you doesn’t count.
In Mother Taylor We Believe, and She Said: You’re on Your Own, Kid
Wine leaves its stains, and when you have to swim through pools of it, it thoroughly tints you. The desire to watch people go through what you did is not foreign to humans. There’s an unexplainable satisfaction—when you look at somebody as helpless as you once were—and sympathise, but don’t offer a swimming guide. After all, the girlbosses had to figure it all out by themselves, the hard way—so of course, giving away your life’s worth of effort in two or three table-talk tips is corporately foolish. If you dismiss the argument in the name of “need for individual effort”—which is what women have tirelessly done—it still doesn’t explain why, then, the work diva boasts she’s “taking one for the girls” as she shuts up the new intern for trying too hard.
The Beauty Filter Hides More Than You Think
The first step to making your place in the influencer world is to build a personal brand. Ironically, though, almost all women land on feminism unitedly. While some uphold their claims, others make sure not to let any sort of women’s empowerment actually penetrate their lives—except their Instagram accounts. Their newest reel talks about unfair expectations from women, and when you click on the story, they’re bashing a girl for literally just questioning the authenticity of their message. Recent controversies—like the YouTuber Clara Dao’s cancellation for having gotten procedures done herself while preaching body positivity full-time—lift the veil sheathing reel from real. Picking up the trending talk, gaining views and following, while completely disregarding the importance it holds for others, is part of the viral ecosystem influencers create.
It’s all fun and games until you talk to a woman who was dismissed for being a woman, who was harassed and offered opportunities in exchange for favours—because that’s still how society explains female success to itself. There are already enough misogynists populating this world—we really don’t need the kind wearing blush too. So, kudos to you for the win. But maybe try marketing yourself as a feminist only when you ensure other girls succeed too, as you did—and when your new post offers something to people besides yourself.
