Ban Bossy is a campaign that the Girl Scouts of America and Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg co-created in 2014. The campaign has produced several videos featuring a range of women and girl’s narratives about being called bossy. In this video, “I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss,” celebrities and public figures including Beyonce, Jennifer Garner, Jane Lynch, Diane von Furstenburg, and Condoleezza Rice talk about women’s experiences asserting themselves. As the campaign explains, between elementary and high school, girls’ self–esteem drops 3.5 times more than boys’ and girls become less interested in leadership than male counterparts.

discussion

What words are associated with assertive women? What effect do these words have on young women?

What does the slogan “I’m not bossy, I’m the boss” mean? What is the difference between these words?

Why are female celebrities featured in this campaign? How does their celebrity influence their message and the messages of the campaign?

How are assertive women portrayed in other media you’ve seen? What do these portrayals suggest about gender, femininity, and assertiveness?