Lack of women chefs due to societal views Essay

LACK OF WOMEN CHEFS DUE TO SOCIETAL VIEWS.
What is the difference between Chef and a Cook?
Chef is the head of the kitchen. A person only becomes after going through culinary training, while cook refers to anyone who prepares food whether professionary or at home.
There are few lady chefs in our society these days. This is due to
It is considered that women's place is in the domestic kitchen while men into a professional one.
Pressure to show they have professional skills in the kitchen. Male supervisors tend to look women down because they are considered weak and emotional. They therefore tend to over heavy objects around without assistance to prove they are strong, or when wronged / humiliated they avoid crying to avoid being emotional.
They leave their career before even rising to position. This may be due to
Long working hours a qualified chef may take up to six to seven days per week or twelve to fourteen hours per day. Also many restaurants are busy during night time hence women may find it difficult to jog between work and family.
Some restaurants have poor pay hence women quit these kind of restaurants to start their own culinary hotels or cook and deliver to various functions because they pay well and they are also time flexible.
They are also restaurants who give little or no benefits for example no paid maternity leaves, health insurance, paid vacations and retirement plans. Most women tend to quit such restaurants.
Many women are willing to accept these poor payments and few benefits. But if a woman has got children, this might not work. Chefs in restaurant cannot live work if her child is sick due to their long working hours hence a woman must choose between her career and family. As we all know, family comes first therefore many mothers tend to choose her family over her career leaving to few women a chefs. Others, may get helpers/nannies to give a helping hands to her babies.
In our society, definition of what it means to be a great chef is also gendered. Masculine traits are associated with competency and leadership skills while feminine traits, are considered as incompetent skills.
Sexual harassment is another factor that may lead to women not getting that top chef position. Male customers or even colleagues might tease or flirt with women chef or even waitresses. This is so embarrassing and uncomfortable and may lead to women quitting their positions even before being promoted.
There also some women who do not take up hotel employment due to lack of interest. They take cooking as a hobby rather than a career therefore few number of females in hotel industry.
Also societal expectations of women have not yet been realised in many countries especially the third world countries. It's believed that women should stay at home clean their homes, give birth and take care of the children and her husband while the man is the one should work.