Challenges and Progress Towards Gender Equality in the Hospitality Industry

International Women's Day is a time to celebrate the achievements of women and to reflect on the progress that still needs to be made in reaching gender equality. In the hospitality industry, gender bias is still a major issue, particularly in restaurants. Despite some progress, there are still significant challenges to overcome to achieve true gender equality.

One of the key challenges is equal pay. Women in the sector are often paid less than male colleagues, even when doing the same job. This is unacceptable and needs to be addressed through fair pay policies and regular monitoring of pay practices.

Career progression is another challenge, as women are still underrepresented in leadership roles in the industry. UK restaurant chain Wahaca has a female majority head office team with 65.5% of roles performed by women, and pub chain Greene King has committed to ensuring that at least 50% of its senior management team are women by 2030.

Flexible working is also important for achieving gender equality in the industry. Some women have caring responsibilities and need to balance work and family life. Many restaurants have introduced flexibility charters that encourage all staff to discuss their flexible working needs with their managers.

Sexual harassment is a major issue in the hospitality industry, particularly in restaurants. Employers need to have robust policies and procedures in place to prevent and address sexual harassment, and to create a culture of zero tolerance.

Finally, representation is important for achieving gender equality in the hospitality industry. Women are still underrepresented in the industry overall, and this needs to be addressed through active recruitment and promotion of women, ensuring that diverse voices are heard at all levels of the organisation. Whitbread have set a target to increase the number of women in senior leadership roles to 45% by 2026 and have introduced a mentoring scheme to support with career development.

To achieve gender equality in the hospitality industry, employers can use checklists to ensure that they are taking the necessary steps. A gender equality checklist might include:

• Regularly reviewing pay practices to ensure that women are paid fairly.
• Providing opportunities for women to progress and develop their careers.
• Offering flexible working arrangements to accommodate caring responsibilities.
• Actively recruiting and promoting women and ensuring that diverse voices are heard at all levels of the organisation.

By following the gender equality checklist, employers can make meaningful progress towards achieving gender equality. Let's use International Women's Day as a catalyst to make a positive change in the industry.