New Script:

Our original script was far too long so here is the edited version:

I’m tough, ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, OK – Madonna

What is a bitch?

The word bitch is used to describe a woman who portrays qualities that would otherwise be celebrated in a man. These qualities often pertain to those of self-confidence and leadership. Bitch is a term that gets used to talk about strong women in a negative context. 

It’s used to describe the woman who just beat you to the promotion.  Or it’s used to make a man seem less powerful in numerous contexts from being smaller in stature through to the connotations of being ‘owned’ by a woman or showing a feminine side.

The problem with the word bitch, is that it’s used against women who want to lead. 

“I intend to do what I want to do and be whom I want to be and answer only to myself: that is, quite simply, the bitch philosophy.”

(-Elizabeth Wurtzel 1998.Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women.)

Women make up 51% of the population, yet are under represented in almost all areas of leadership. Globally less than 1 in 10 businesses is likely to be lead by a woman and only 20% of political leaders in the world are female. Pretty much any woman in power is called a bitch. If Hillary Clinton and Angela Merkel had a dollar for every time they were called "bitches," they'd have enough money to pay off the national debt in both of their countries.

We need to stop putting down women who want to reach the top, and instead encourage them to celebrate their success.

In New Zealand we are no better. Women only make up 32% of parliament. This is not a women’s problem, it’s a fundamental flaw in our society.

As girls get older, they are less likely to engage in some forms of leadership.1/3  girls who do not want to be leaders attribute their lack of motivation to coming across as bossy, or not being liked by people.  Ie. Acting “bitchy”. This continues into professional life. Stereotypes and discrimination continue to pervade leadership culture today, and this cannot continue. - (Cate Bell, Auckland University President-Elect 2014.)

Currently, women comprise of 64% of the New Zealand’s university graduates yet are under-represented in almost all leadership roles in New Zealand. Less than 15% of company directors are female.

Generally the percentage of women decreases as the seniority of the position increases.

Women tend to be satisfied with the status quo. They won’t push. Men are aggressive. They’ll say they want a raise. Women are more satisfied: they’ll say, let’s keep it as is; let’s not make waves. Women are taught that they need to keep themselves out of power.  Bitch doesn’t align with what it means to be “feminine” and exhibiting stereotypically “female” behaviors like being nice, quiet, polite, agreeable, and liked by all. 

We need more women leaders. We want to reclaim the word BITCH for assertive, authoritative women, who want to be role models for the next generation of bitches. Women need to feel empowered to make a difference in the world by leading.

“We must be strong, we must be militant, we must be dangerous. We must realize that Bitch is Beautiful and that we have nothing to lose.”

(1968, Jo Freeman, The BITCH Manifesto,)