News

A day without women in the restaurant industry?

March 6, 2017

Women contribute largely to the restaurant industry, according to the Departmentment of Labor, which reported that in 2015, the foodservice industry as a whole was made up of 54.5 percent women. The majority of positions held by women include line cooks, bartenders, dishwashers and servers, while they only filled 27 percent of CEO and 21 percent of head chefs roles.

The American restaurant industry would certainly be in trouble if women stopped showing up to work, which is what may happen on Wednesday, March 8  — International Women's Day. The women who organized the Women's March on Washington are calling on women to make March 8, "A Day Without a Woman," in one or all of the following ways:

• Women take the day off, from paid and unpaid labor.
• Avoid shopping for one day (with exceptions for small, women- and minority-owned businesses).
• Wear red in solidarity with A Day Without A Woman.

"In the same spirit of love and liberation that inspired the Women's March, we join together in making March 8th A Day Without a Woman, recognizing the enormous value that women of all backgrounds add to our socio-economic system — while receiving lower wages and experiencing greater inequities, vulnerability to discrimination, sexual harassment and job insecurity," according to the WomensMarch.com.  "We recognize that trans and gender nonconforming people face heightened levels of discrimination, social oppression and political targeting. We believe in gender justice.

The website also said A Day Without a Woman reaffirms the group's commitment to the Principles of Unity, which were collaboratively outlined for the Women’s March.

"We are inspired by recent courageous actions like the 'Bodega strike' lead by Yemeni immigrant store owners in New York City and the Day Without Immigrants across the U.S. We applaud the efforts of #GrabYourWallet and others to bring public accountability to unethical corporate practices. The Women's March stands in solidarity with the International Women's Strike organizers, feminists of color and grassroots groups in planning global actions for equity, justice and human rights."