Female Ambition Is Not A Curse

I am an ambitious person. Ech, hem. I am an ambitious woman. And, apparently, according to Newsweek that distinction makes a difference.

This week the magazine unveiled a not so amusing Top 11 List of Female Ambition.

The article features the likes of Hillary Clinton, Carly Fiorina, Martha Stewart, Madonna, Anna Wintour, and Sarah Palin - to name a few. All of the women, except one - Yoko Ono - are white. And each article pretty much depicts the woman in question as one of two things as Allyson Kapin pointed out: a ball buster or a bitch.

While perhaps the article is meant to expose the blatant sexism thrown at women who take positions of power - is there really a need to regurgitate it? Nothing in the article is particularly empowering, but rather a reminder of just how far we need to go before this "treacherous combination" of an ambitious woman becomes palatable in the national consciousness.

Personally, I don't buy it. Newsweek did a shoddy reporting job - if it really wanted to talk about female ambition I would have made it clear that women have always been ambitious and always will. It is a natural trait. Power is nothing foreign to the female species - we are just often told it's not very "feminine" if we show it off, but that doesn't mean we aren't well acquainted with it.

For me, when I want something, I go after it - and usually if I work hard, I get it. I have been told several times in my life that I'm "intimidating" - but never a "bitch" (at least to my face). I don't apologize for my success - in fact, I try to share it and use it as a means to inspire others to achieve their dreams. I am direct, but not rude. I hold people accountable and I expect them to do the same with me. I call it like it is. If I see something happening that I don't like - I say something. I try to be an honest broker in a world which is full of deception, ulterior motives and disingenuous people - something that is always hard for me to come to terms with because I am an eternal optimist - not only for myself, but those around me. Getting to do what I want, following my dreams and standing up for myself isn't selfish in my book - it's what the boys have been doing for years.

The truth is that Newsweek missed a big point: ambitious women make this world a better place, not a "scarier" one.  Without ambitious women like Cleopatra, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Zainab Salbi, Rachel Maddow, Gloria Steinam, Sojourner Truth - and many others - the world would be a much worse off in my opinion.

Female ambition is not a curse. But if you want the attention of ambitious women - I've got one clue for you, Newsweek - offending them is not usually the best route. Even ambitious women enjoy some form of flattery.

So ladies, please don't fall into this trap. You're not a bitch or a ball buster if you consider yourself ambitious. You are being exactly what you are meant to be: a woman.

Photo credit: Kyle Rush