Bossy

Bossy is a patronising way to describe a woman who takes up space and speaks her mind. Women in leadership are always at risk of being branded ‘bossy’ and the use of this word can deter women from seeking positions of authority.

Beyoncé explained, “I’m not bossy. I’m the boss”, as part of the 2014 Ban Bossy campaign which addressed the confidence gap between young girls and boys and aimed to encourage girls to lead.

He realised that the bossy young girl displayed the same qualities as the little boy being praised as a natural leader.

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Feisty

Feisty is a condescending way to describe a woman who has an opinion and is determined to achieve her goals.

It’s uncommon for CIS men to be described as ‘feisty’ due to society’s unconscious bias towards how men and women should act. In their guide to improving the media coverage of females, the Women’s Media Centre lists ‘feisty’ as one of the words that should be avoided, describing it as “normally reserved for individuals that are not inherently powerful”.

He realised feisty is a sexist term and praised his female colleague for being driven instead.

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Fierce

Fierce is a word used to describe strong women, however it also infers that a woman isn’t acting as we expect her to. Fierce is a particularly problematic sexist term, as it is often reserved for women of colour and reinforces the ‘angry black woman’ stereotype.

Instead of calling her fierce, he called her strong, as that was exactly what she was.

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