Exploring collective costs and individual benefits of neoliberal feminism

A popular form of ‘neoliberal feminism’ promotes women’s resilience as individuals to advance gender equality in leadership and beyond (Rottenberg, 2014). Ostensibly inspiring, this focus can increase beliefs that women, rather than inequitable social structures, are to blame for ongoing inequality (Kim et al., 2018). In this research, we examine another potential downside: that messages promoting individual resilience reduce women’s collective-action intentions. Across three studies in the UK, undergraduate and graduate employed women (total N=940) read about gender inequality and then read messages either promoting individual resilience as a pathway to women’s career advancement, or not. In two of three studies, women who received resilience messages had lower collective-action intentions – a negative effect that was either indirect, via reduced perceptions of gender discrimination and reduced anger over inequality (Study 1) or direct (Study 3). Across studies, we did not find evidence of individual benefits, and in Study 2, women who read messages promoting individual resilience reported lower personal control and career ambition. Together, these studies contribute to evidence showing downsides of neoliberal feminism. We discuss alternative ways to promote gender equality, including through messages that mobilise supporters of gender equality to challenge structural impediments to women’s career advancement.