Catfight: Women and Competition

by Leora Tanenbaum

whether we end up following the American feminine script or thumbing our noses at it, it exacts a toll on our attitude toward other women: We become divided from one another and competitive with each other. This is because femininity and competition go hand in hand. By definition, the female role is something a woman “wins” at. Being feminine entails being attractive (more than other women); dating, living with, or marrying a “good catch” (who earns more money or is better-looking than other women’s men); and having faultless children (who are smarter, cuter, more creative, and better behaved than her peers’ children). If she works in a career surrounded by men, she has to do a better job than the other women so that she can be the perfect token female who is almost as good as the guys. When women’s traditional role is exalted, a woman feels pressured to “win” at being the most feminine woman possible.