Girlboss is dead, long live girlboss

In the beginning, there were the girlbosses, typically elder millennials who built empires, dedicated their lives to work, and preached a single creed: that of money. According to them, men needed to be "beaten" at their own game - in the realm of work, power, and economic well-being, hitting them where it hurts: in their wallets and in male-dominated fields. Becoming richer and more powerful than men, replacing them, was the only way to be a feminist. However, this entrepreneurial ideology did nothing to critique the established power and system; in fact, it endorsed and strengthened it.

Sophia Amoruso, the first girlboss

The quintessential girlboss was Sophia Amoruso, the founder of Nasty Gal and the author of a book that inspired a TV series titled "Girlboss" in 2017. At the time, this held some social significance. After all, there was a need (and still is, some would say, given the gender employment gap) for strong young women to climb the social ladder, becoming CEOs and CFOs, founding startups and more, even (or better) if it meant displacing some men, displaying the same lack of scruples and disregard for those beneath them.

Girlboss, gatekeep and gaslight

Over the years, the term girlboss has lost much of its original meaning, becoming an ironic meme often used with sarcasm. A new, more profound and destructive feminism emerged, advocating for the total dismantling of the current economic system, believing that a truly fair society (for women and for all) must transcend the Western economy, which was built by men and adheres to their oppressive rules and dynamics. Now, girlbosses are seen as enemies of feminism, servants of the patriarchy, and carriers of a sick capitalism. An example of a girlboss? The influencer who sacrifices her private life for content creation and sells her image to, in turn, sell products. It's no coincidence that the term is often associated with "gatekeep" and "gaslight."

It's the soft-girl moment

So, what has replaced girlbossing? Various cores and trends advocate for a slower, more relaxed lifestyle, emphasizing the value of leisure time and doing nothing in particular. Priorities have shifted: taking care of one's physical health without overexertion, engaging in gentle exercises like pilates, following intuitive eating, and avoiding stress induced by diets and hectic lifestyles. The Gen Z girls lead this revolution, proclaiming to the world that they're not interested in careers as a means of livelihood but in being happy, carefree, and comfortable. In short, it's the era of the cozy girl or soft-girl, who wants to nurture her hobbies and reconnect with her more feminine, deep, and sentimental side. The change in lifestyle couldn't be more deep.

Should we worry?

Expanding further, one might also consider the resurgence of marriage in this wave. After a period of decline, marriage is once again becoming desirable for Gen Z. More and more girls on TikTok express a desire to marry young or to feel content in their roles as non-working wives or girlfriends, showcasing their daily lives as "stay at home girlfriends." For any thirty-something woman, these are nothing short of alarm bells and red flag, indicating a frightening return to antiquated norms, not dissimilar to the concept of the "trad-wife" often advocated by the extreme right in the United States (and beyond).

Free choice or old-fashioned ideals?

Is it possible to view these choices as antiquated and wrong, or is it a matter of perspective? Can there exist an ideal of a good girlfriend and little wife completely detached from the existing power structure, which is also gender-based? On the other hand, one might think that this rejection of anything associated with girlbossing is not so much a rejection of feminist progress and achievements, but rather a result of a general depletion of mental and physical resources, exacerbated working conditions, declining salaries, rising prices, and a global crisis from various perspectives. After all, the world is just a cycle of rupture and restoration. One hopes, each time, with a little more awareness.