‘The girls’

[Girlygirlgirl]

I’m fairly certain I’m not being unreasonable in getting irritated by this, but does this irk anyone else?

I started a new job 6 weeks ago with a new organisation. In our department there are two types of job role. My role is highly qualified, the other role is also skilled but less qualified, and supports my role.

The people that do the other role are collectively called ‘the girls’. For example ‘the girls can do that piece of work’ or ‘give it to the girls to action’. I don’t get it. They are not girls, they are grown women!

Everyone who does my role is also female. We are all women! So why are they ‘the girls’? In my old organisation we called them by an abbreviation of their job title.

Eugh yes this awful. So demeaning and patronising to "the girls"

I absolutely can't stand this sort of sexist infantalising crap

Do you not say I'm going out with the girls from work? Or we're having a girls' night out? My husband goes out with the lads. We're in our 50s

No I don't say that

I work in an all female environment, and my manager consistently refers to us as 'the girls', too. As you say, we are all women. If I refer to us as a whole I say "the team" or "my team". We have a male starting with us in September so will be interesting to see what my manager does then!

YANBU!

I might do - but I wouldn't refer to a group of female colleagues as "the girls" in a professional setting

Guess I'm not that easily offended.

I was one of 3 women under 40 doing the same role. Our boss (female) referred to us as girls. I asked her to stop and she did.

I suggest as you are new you simply refer to them by the team name.

I would hate that OP. Really minimalises your roles and seniority. So patronising!

I'm about to hit 30 and will be referring to myself as a "girl" for as long as possible 😂

If you don't like it, can't you just start referring to them by their name / team name / another term?

Absolutely unacceptable. This wouldn't just irk me I'd be furious. Anyone who can't see this is demeaning is daft.

@Cosyblankets they're being referred to the girls professionally because of their support role and not personally. The more qualified team of women is not referred to as the girls.

So the (for example) female solicitors are seen as grown ups, addressed by their name, and the paralegals are collectively known as the girls? Yeah, that's patronising shite.

Ooh I know! Start identifying as he/him. No one is allowed to argue and it’ll really throw a spanner in the works.

I’m with you. I feel this really petty. I’m off out for brunch with my girls on Saturday. We’re all 32-34. I don’t say I’m meeting the women” it sounds ridiculous.

I don't like this either. Heard it today at the dentist as I was leaving 'Just let the girls know and they'll sort it for you' meaning the receptionists.

I am 57 and have never "been out with the girls". Thank goodness, because I am not keen on all-female groups or workplaces. And OP is right - it's demeaning.

This wouldn't even be on my radar to be offended

I work in a school and there are only a few male teachers. Our previous (female) headteacher used to refer to the good work that the 'boys' in year 6 were doing.

Now the current (male) headteacher refers to some of the female staff as 'the girls'.

It's weird either way.

I don't mind referring to my friends as 'the girls' but I would bristle if I was part of a group of female colleagues and being referred to by senior colleagues as 'the girls'. What's wrong with 'the admin team' or whatever it might be. No one's going to be referring to 'the boys' in a work context.

It’s awful. So demeaning. I can’t bear the ‘girls’ night out ‘ expression either.

I would.

But when used to refer to a collective of women in an enabling role/supporting role it feels patronising.

They're not 'the girls' if it's all other women referring to them as such. When this is the case 'the girls' (supporting role) can only be juxtaposed by not 'the girls' aka 'the women' (higher role).

It's like men in the 50s referring to their secretaries.

It is demeaning, and I think intentionally so. It implies some sort of servitude to me when used in this context.

Would anyone refer to an all male team as ‘the boys’ ? Would they refer to an all male team as anything other than ‘the team’ or for example, ‘ the paralegals’ ? Never heard it. YANBU

Or just isn't soft?

Yes, exactly like this!

I don’t have an issue with the use of ‘girls’ in other contexts. It’s not a phrase I’d use personally but ‘a girls night out’ with my mates no problem. However in this context I feel it’s demeaning.