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“Why did you choose to be a bartender in the first place? There are better jobs for women out there”, “Bribe the waitress a little more; there are chances you may get to sleep with her”. You must be familiar with these terms, aren’t you? Maybe you have laughed along with your friends when one of them tried to hit on a waitress or a female bartender. Well, these terms are highly symbolic of the position of women in the food and hospitality sector. Sexism is so deep-rooted in the social construct any sexist remark, situation or comment seems ordinary. Although sexism has a deeply engraved belief of women belonging to kitchens and being hospitable must be their prime virtue, the case is not the same when it comes to the food and hospitality industry. There’s widespread inequality and harassment even in the sector to which sexists believe women belong. Sardonic enough, isn’t it?
Inequalities in pay, workplace security, and family leaves are some of the problems which have barred women from entering the food and hospitality sector. While women rule the culinary graduation sector, less than 20 percent of them go ahead to pursue what they learn. From the mindset that females are distractions for the men working in the sector to believing that women have poor management skills, these sexist ideologies are a reason why barely 30% of the chefs are women. While many women are extremely passionate about food, only two out of the 17 top Michelin star chefs are women because of patriarchy pulling them down on their journey.
Most of the female chefs are hired in the pastry section or the cold kitchen as there is a common belief that females can't handle the pressure in the hot kitchen. According to Vox Creative, "Women comprise just 7 percent of head chefs and restauranteurs." You ask why? Well, the majority of waitresses face unwanted sexual advances, touching and harassment in the workplace. You must have faced such situations when your male friends pass comments to waitresses or bartenders and ask them their “plans for the night”. When the #MeToo Movement began, many tweets were by female chefs, waitresses, receptionists and bartenders who had faced sexual harassment either from their employers, co-workers or customers proving that there isn’t a single industry that is immune to sexual harassment and assault.
Unsolicited opinions and comments are also on the list. Asking a women employee “if she is PMSing” while aggressive and terming concerns and fury as “overreacting due to periods” remain on the top of the list. Women who choose to bartend as their profession are often advised not to choose it as it is a ‘male job’. Gender discrimination, sexual harassment, no family leaves, double work and unequal pay are some of the main problems that women bartenders face daily.
Despite all this, women are forced to keep quiet in the fear of reprisal. But the world is changing and for the better. Being a woman in the food and hospitality industry isn’t easy. But with the growing employment of women in the industry and laws to ensure their safety, the future seems brighter. This is the time to raise a glass for all those women who have worked, fought, made history and shaped the culinary industry. And here’s to all the women who are currently employed and are aspiring to join the industry- the time has come to rule the kitchen, create magic behind the bar and say a clear “No” to chits and extra tip in the name of assault.
