When you are out at a restaurant with your family and friends, would you do everything that the people who work there do to serve you? You would probably assume that it’s the regular stuff like drink and food orders, the breakfast, lunch, and dinner rush, right? Well, for the most part, yes, that is part of being a server, but for a female server, things might be a little different. When waiting a table female servers/waitress have to worry about that and more “When I was only 20 or 22 years old I would have to deal with 40-year-old men flirt with me or touching me while taking their order and since I was depending on tips, I had to just laugh it off not matter how uncomfortable I was.” Leanna Goodrich, German teacher at Pennridge High School, a previous waitress, and a full-time women’s advocate, stated. Female wait staff should not have to deal with this kind of treatment on top of everything they deal with in the kitchen, and the fact that this was and still is happening is unsettling to say the least. “It also depends on the time of your shift as to how flirtatious or handy some of the guys got, because if it was a morning shift, then you didn’t have much to worry about, but if it was a night shift, alcohol was involved,” Goodrich spoke out.
Being a professional chef comes with many responsibilities and many challenges. Some may see these as something only a man can do, or something that a woman is too “delicate” for. Women are portrayed very differently throughout the world. When it comes to some places, women are looked at as being able to cook anywhere without a second thought. While in some other places, women are seen as not leaving the kitchen. That is how it is traditionally in Japan. In Japanese culture, women are looked at as being cooks in the comfort of their own homes. Many people, not only women, have dreams. Women should be able to express and fulfill their dreams when it comes to cooking. If a woman in Japan loves to cook with passion and wants to become a sushi chef, then she should be able to try to become one, have the same opportunities as men, and be treated the same throughout the process.
There are also many opinions on whether women should even be involved in a professional culinary atmosphere. Some people think that the cooking atmosphere should remain as it was decades ago, where women should only cook at home. On the other hand, some people think that everyone deserves to have a fair shot at becoming a chef in a professional workplace. Pennridge High School Family and Consumer Science Teacher, Rachel Hoffman, said, “Even though the kitchen at home is dominated by women, in the workforce it is dominated by men. My favorite show is Top Chef, and it seems to be mostly men; males hire males. You need thick skin for a kitchen atmosphere. Women are criticized, and there’s a false image that women can’t handle the kitchen.”
When addressing the culinary curriculum at Pennridge High School, Hoffman was asked if Japanese food could be explored more. Hoffman said, “I think it’s hard to get students to eat vegetables; Japanese cuisine is vegetable forward.” Hoffman also adds that teaching and making Japanese-style dishes here are “Pretty Americanized.” There are many dishes to enjoy on the menu of Japanese food. Hoffman said, “I love Japanese food; it is one of my favorite cuisines. I love sushi, hibachi, and edamame.”
When someone is treated differently because of their gender, it is considered gender discrimination, and in a professional environment, it makes everything more complicated. Remember that just because women have this happen to them more often does not mean that it cannot happen to any other gender. Also, remember you are not alone. Everyone can experience situations like this. If this happens in a workplace, you could speak to your supervising manager, or if that option is not accessible, contact the HR department to discuss what is making you uncomfortable, no matter how minor or trivial you believe they are.
