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Article
Why Calling Women 'Girls' Is A Bigger Deal Than You May Think
Forbes
  • Susan R. Madsen, Utah State University
Document Type
Article
Publisher
Forbes, Inc.
Publication Date
8-9-2021
Disciplines
Abstract

It is seldom that we hear a man referred to as a “boy,” but women of all ages continue to be called “girls” by many people in workplace settings. In the past few years, there have been a number of articles written about this issue. For example, The Washington Post published, “I’m a manager, but to my boss and colleagues, I’m a ‘girl.’” ABC News published, “7 Words You Should Avoid Using About Women in the Workplace,” with a discussion about the use of “girl.” This article referred to it as being “girled at work,” which relates to — intentionally or unintentionally — belittling, demeaning or excluding women through sexist language. Experts in that piece noted that calling a woman “girl” is about treating someone like a child or making them feel somehow less mature than others.

Citation Information
Madsen, S. R. (2021, August 9). Why calling women ‘girls’ is a bigger deal than you may think. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/08/09/why-calling- women-girls-is-a-bigger-deal-than-you-may-think/?sh=d71b0372fda5