Ruth Sunderland

Why ‘gender neutral’ could be the next big thing for businesswomen

Who do you think is the first woman you would see if you typed ‘CEO’ into the Google Images search bar? Carolyn McCall of EasyJet, perhaps, or how about Angela Ahrends, who used to run Burberry and is now a big noise at Apple?

Whoever you guessed, I’m willing to bet you didn’t expect her to be 11.5 inches tall and made of plastic. But when I tried the experiment, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Sixty or so photographs of men – all but one white – flicked up before the first woman boss appeared.

And this feminine titan wasn’t an actual human female – she was CEO Barbie. That’s right, the highest ranking woman boss on the planet is, apparently, a doll.

Now you don’t have to be a rabid feminist to think there is something a bit off here. But

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in