March 28, 2024

Girl Scouts and LeanIn.org Partner to “Ban Bossy”

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When a little boy asserts himself, he is called a leader. When a little girl asserts herself, she is called “bossy.”

Starting at a surprisingly young age, cultural gender expectations discourage girls from leadership. When a young girl asserts herself in the manner expected of boys, she risks being branded bossy—a precursor to other offensive and dismissive descriptors such as “aggressive,” “angry,” and “overly ambitious.”

Research on girls and leadership is devastatingly clear. According to a study conducted by the Girl Scouts Research Institute (GSRI), middle school girls are less interested in leadership roles than boys because they fear being disliked. Indeed, 53% of Girl Scouts have been called bossy at least once, and teachers are more likely to ask a Girl Scout to lead at school because of her well-developed leadership skills.

“Girls are twice as likely as boys to avoid leadership roles for fear of being deemed ‘bossy’ by their peers,” explains Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA). “At Girl Scouts, we want to bring adults and girls together to empower them as our next generation of leaders.”

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, author of Lean In, and founder of LeanIn.org, believes we should encourage girls to “lean in” and let their voices be heard. “We need to recognize the ways we systematically discourage leadership in girls from a young age—and instead, we need to encourage them [to lead],” Sandberg explains.

Citing additional research by the Girl Scouts Research Institute, Neil Stamps, CEO of Girl Scouts of Rhode Island, says that “60% of girls nationwide do not want to be leaders. To help encourage more girls to be leaders, Girl Scouts of Rhode Island is focused on delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience – including top-notch programming that helps girls develop strong leadership skills and gain confidence in their leadership abilities.”

As part of the Ban Bossy campaign, Lifetime TV will air a “Ban Bossy” PSA with appearances by Chávez and Sandberg, as well as Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, performer Beyoncé, actress Jennifer Gardner, fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg, and others.

The Ban Bossy campaign will be housed on a newly launched website, BanBossy.com, where visitors can take the pledge to Ban Bossy, share facts and figures on girls’ leadership, read Ban Bossy quotes from celebrities and leaders, and download our leadership tips encouraging girls and women to lead at home, at school, and at work.

We want all girls to know they can be anything they want to be. Whether your girl seeks to be the CEO of the world’s largest company or the CEO of her family at home, the time to ban bossy is now—and the campaign should start at home. “So the next time you have the urge to call your little girl ‘bossy’?” Sandberg explains. “Take a deep breath and say, ‘My daughter has executive leadership skills.’”

Girl Scouts, Ban Bossy, Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg, LeanIn

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