Feminism Didn’t Need a Rebrand

We never needed a strategy to sell equality.

Photo collage by author.

The “Girlboss” may be dead, but Feminist leaders are alive and well.

In a recent viral Medium piece, Leigh Stein declares “The End of the Girlboss Is Here.” Leigh deftly called out the inexperience many White feminist business leaders, solely there because of privilege and money, had in leading social change. Their “feminism” was for only for show, sales, and follows. As Leigh said:

“[The] women who leaned into their ambition and founded their own companies were not necessarily any more virtuous, ethical, or respectful than their male counterparts.”

Plenty of Feminists have been “doing the work” long before it was considered a marketable branding opportunity or cute hashtag. Tears won’t be shed from the word “Girl” dying from feminist businesses, (though it’s fine if it sticks around, too).

For many of us, the term Girlboss never took root in the first place.

Leigh’s popular piece, while full of accurate and necessary lessons for future founders and investors, is missing several points that paint a more thorough picture of Feminism and Capitalism in 2020. The temptation to reduce the future economy…