Ban Bossy

We've all heard it - the other b-word -  bossy.

Maybe a little girl raises her hand frequently in class, or perhaps she organizes the play of her friends, or even suggests her own name for a coveted opportunity.  When she does these things, she's running the risk of being called that dreaded b-word - bossy.

When we allow little girls to be assigned negative words like bossy, we're essentially telling them not to be leaders.  We're saying that we should not stand up or take charge.

And these words really matter.  Did you know that, by middle school, girls are less interested in leading their peers than boys are?  This is a devastating trend that continues into adulthood and keeps women out of leadership roles.

In our previous blog post (see below), we wrote about a efforts by LeanIn and the Girl Scouts to ban that b-word.  Joined by other partners, the campaign is really booming (no surprise!) and we are thrilled.

Check out the website and learn how you can do your part to Ban Bossy.

Don't miss the page of things the Ban Bossy campaign loves including several items on STEM skills -

Black Girls Code: Breaking Color Barriers in STEM

Teach for America: Expanding Opportunities for Girls in STEM