Ban Bossy

 

When a little boy asserts himself, we applaud him. Yet when a little girl does the same, she is often branded “bossy,” a stigma that stays with her for life. Research shows this is one of many ways we inadvertently discourage leadership in girls.

Take a look at some of these staggering facts (From Leadership Tips for Leaders)

• In a Girl Scouts study of 8 to 17-year-olds, a third of young women who did not want to be leaders attributed their lack of motivation to a fear of being called “bossy” or disliked by their peers. Girls were twice as likely as boys to cite “bossy” as a barrier.
• Sixth grade girls are 33 percent less likely than boys to want to take the lead in group projects. Starting in middle school, more boys than girls aspire to leadership roles in future careers.
• Girls in the sixth and seventh grades rate being popular and well-liked as more important than being perceived as competent or independent.
• As Girl Scouts, our goal is to help girls develop their leadership skills so that they will take on leadership roles in the future. We want all girls to know they can be anything they want to be.
• Tell girls they are not “bossy,” they are leaders!

For more Ban Bossy Resources, visit:

• http://girlscouts.org/banbossy/
• http://girlscouts.org/banbossy/pdfs/BanBossy_Leadership_Tips_for_Troop_Leaders.pdf