How girl math fails women of color

Girl math isn’t the pathway to real financial empowerment. [The Muse Logo]( [How Girl Math Fails Women of Color]( Last summer may have given us girl math, but the meme’s discourse around gender and financial literacy is ongoing. Girl math gained traction on TikTok after Fletch, Vaughan & Hayley, a New Zealand-based radio show, launched a recurring segment dedicated to the concept. The on-air conversations aren’t framed as professional financial advice, but they highlight why the meme resonated with a wide audience: girl math is relatable because we’ve all done mental gymnastics to justify impulsive retail therapy. For many people, girl math is satire—a send-up of misogynistic tropes about women and their inability to resist materialistic objects over cash in the bank. While much of the media criticism spoke to the meme’s validation of gender stereotypes, the debates didn’t unpack two interdependent factors: race and ethnic identity. This lack of nuance is a reflection of the demographic that popularized the trend: white women. Girl math wants women to discover the joy of spending, but for many women of color, the trend reinforces a narrative meant to keep us poor, ashamed, and disadvantaged. Girl math may seem harmless, but it’s not a form of financial liberation—it’s memefied white feminism that disempowers women of color. [READ MORE]( [How to Write a Resignation Email Subject Line]( It’s actually quite simple. [READ MORE]( [How to Follow Up on a Job Application (With Templates)]( Just follow these rules for being pleasantly persistent. [READ MORE]( [7 Workplace Conflict Examples]( Plus how to handle each one. [READ MORE]( [How to Write a Cover Letter With No Experience (Examples Included!)]( We've all been there; you can do it too. [READ MORE]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( This email was sent to: {EMAIL}. ©2024 Daily Muse Inc. All rights reserved. 442 5th Ave. #1147, New York, NY 10018 [Terms of Use]( [Unsubscribe]( - [Unsubscribe Preferences](