Sheryl Sandberg Bossily Insists that We Ban the Word 'Bossy'

Sheryl Sandberg! is speaking out about the gendered nature of the word “bossy”—the way that men get to be the boss (competent, powerful, in control), while women are coded as bossy (nagging, domineering, stepping out of their place). Sandberg, along with Condoleezza Rice and Girl Scouts CEO Anna Maria Chávez, is leading a campaign to “ban bossy” and send anyone who uses it to girl-jail encourage people to recognize that language is powerful and they should wield it accordingly.

Via Elle:

“Ban Bossy,” which they announced yesterday, is a call for people to strike the “bossy” descriptor from their vocabularies. Sandberg, Rice, and Chávez argue that the word is more pejorative than people realize—especially because it’s tacked on to women to snub them, while men are just praised as “bosses.”

According to Sandberg, Rice, and Chávez, the problem isn’t just that women and young girls’ feelings are hurt by the wordage. It’s that they’re often discouraged enough by it that they don’t speak up or assume leadership roles they’d succeed in. And that hurts everyone—men and women alike.

FOR IT. DO IT. I DEMAND IT. I AM THE BOSS OF YOU.

Seriously, I know I sound like I’m joking, but shit like this can really affect the way men perceive women and women perceive themselves. Words are important, people. Use them responsibly.

Image via Getty.