The hospitality industry is one of the world’s largest sectors, with women playing a vital role across various positions—from housekeeping and front-desk roles to sous chefs and head chefs. Despite their significant presence, true gender equity in the industry is still a work in progress.
Join Chef Asma Khan for inspiration on how we can create more opportunities for women, driving equality and shaping a fairer future for the hospitality industry.
Asma Khan Video
How to Champion Female Talent in Your Kitchen
1. Create a safe space
The first step toward building a more equal kitchen is fostering an environment where women feel safe and supported. This includes creating spaces where they can comfortably interact with superiors for mentorship or feedback.
"You need to encourage them that this is a different environment, [that] you can be respectful, but you can be powerful,” says Asma Khan, Chef and Owner at Darjeeling Express.
A safe workplace also means creating suitable changing rooms and dedicated spaces where women can feel comfortable. It’s simple changes that can make a big impact.
2. Understand their cultural background
Each member of your team comes from a different background, and you should always try to learn and understand it. Being respectful of cultural needs and nuances will make women in the crew feel welcome to express and be themselves at work. This understanding is vital in navigating the challenging aspect of working in a diverse environment.
3. Pay fairly
The gender pay gap remains a significant issue in hospitality. Promoting gender equity at the workplace also means being paid fairly, based on skills and roles: “You absolutely need to pay fairly and equally. People who do the same job should be paid the same, irrespective of their gender. This is very important in every industry” highlights Asma Khan.
4. Create growth opportunities
To ensure more women hold key roles in the industry, it’s crucial to offer tailored training programmes and mentorship opportunities. Women deserve the same clear paths for progression and growth as their male counterparts.
Encourage women to seek out mentors and build networks both inside and outside the kitchen to sharpen their skills. Empowered and skilled women bring valuable contributions to the business, benefiting the entire team and strengthening the industry as a whole.
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5. Promote inclusivity
A key step towards gender equity is to educate all employees about gender discrimination and build emotional intelligence. The team needs to be supportive, not abusive and any type of inappropriate behaviour shouldn’t be tolerated.
Women should also feel safe to speak up to their peers and seniors about misbehaviour in the kitchen, promoting a diverse work environment where everyone is respected. Furthermore, measures should be taken to ignite positive change.
6. Open communications
Keep communication channels open, so that employees can feel safe to ask for help, provide feedback or open up about personal problems.
Chef Asma Khan has been promoting active listening in her kitchen: “Recognising, ‘Yes, I know this is uncomfortable for you, let's find a solution’. That really will help young women who come in, because they feel this is where they will be safe, that they can grow, that they can thrive, that they can become powerful.’”
It’s Time for Change
The world is evolving, and women in hospitality are demanding gender equity and inclusion. We can all contribute to this change with our voices and actions. Women are a vital part of the food service industry and gender equity is not impossible to reach.
Start now by creating a more inclusive environment and explore our resources to build positive kitchens of tomorrow today.
