The #GirlBoss Era is in Full Effect

"The Future is Female” is a phrase that announces women are moving frontand-center as the world’s leaders. It’s an ear-arousing statement that has turned itself into a brand. From having a popular hashtag presence to companies racing to print this four-word phrase across a multitude of plain black and white t-shirts, it’s a bold logo that states, “We’re up next.”

Why is this so relevant?

Because the twenty-first century marks the first era in history in which women are capable of calling the shots. From taking over CEO positions to mothering children, women are continuing to shatter every glass ceiling. Anything femme is a pop-culture trend and the women’s empowerment movement is progressing fullsteam ahead. The “feminist” title is proudly claimed by many women, whereas it used to be a word that most would hide away from their everyday vocabulary.

Spearheading this movement are millennial women. Ranging from our early 20s to mid-30s, it’s easy to spot many new-aged girls headlining the covers of magazines and primetime news stories. From award-winning examples such as Malala Youzafsai to passionate women such as Cashmere Nicole, the single mother who created a $15 million valued makeup company while fighting breast cancer; they are the types of women putting the stereotype of millennials being lazy and entitled to rest.

In general, millennial women are more drawn to carving out their paths independently.

According to a survey conducted by Create & Cultivate Co., approximately 83% of millennial women envision themselves running their own business. Out of the 400 women interviewed, the majority at 58% claimed they view entrepreneurship as the most appealing career path. Additionally, 55% of respondents also said that alongside their everyday nine-to-five job was a side hustle that they were/are managing in their free time.

As a collective, women are tapping into their passions and embracing a young hustler spirit. They want to attend college and graduate. A higher number of us are getting our undergraduate diplomas in comparison to past generations.

Although the largest obstacle standing in the way of a woman’s dreams of becoming a business mogul is financing their projects, women-owned businesses are now fueling a substantial portion of the U.S. economy.

Between 2006-2017 alone, the number of femaleled enterprises increased by 45%; compared to the number of other corporations that increased by only 9%, as pointed out by the 2016 State of Women- Owned Businesses Report. That means girl-power had grown exponentially at a rate five terms faster than the national average at the time.

How is this impacting the American economy? It is estimated that, in total, there are 11.3 million womenled businesses in the United States. Creating an approximate amount of 9 million job opportunities, while all businesses generated a combined profit of $1.6 trillion.

If it sounds like I’m girl-crushing, it’s because I am! Women have come a long way of being barred from seeking higher education, being seen as domestic counterparts to society, and regarded as helpers instead of leaders. Today, we’re leading the world (alongside our male friends) and creating a drastic social change.