International Women’s Day: The future of women in foodservice is here
A history of IWD and women’s journey in foodservice
Also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace, International Women’s Day (March 8) is a focal point in the movement for women’s equality across the globe. Though it may be hard to believe, the subject of women’s rights is still very much a contentious topic in many countries. IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first gathering in 1911 supported by millions across Europe after previous suffragists, suffragettes and special interest groups campaigned for women’s equality worldwide.
The restaurant business has come a long way from the Delmonico days where only women in the company of male escorts were welcome in elegant dining establishments, and dining foodservice was geared toward a majority male customer base. Women, now more than ever, are fighting their way to the top of foodservice, owning more restaurants, becoming executives and leading restaurant associations and organizations in order to spearhead change and strive for balance in an otherwise male-dominated industry.
Here is a list of famous women chefs according to ranker.com, listed by level of prominence. Although there are thousands of amazing women chefs throughout the world, this list highlights the top 10 for your dose of #IWD2020 inspiration:
- Padma Lakshmi - American cookbook author, actress, model, television host and executive producer.
- Julia Child - American chef, author, and television personality.
- Rachel Ray - American television personality, businesswoman, celebrity chef and author.
- Giada De Laurentiis - Italian-born American chef, writer, television personality, and the host of the current Food Network television program Giada at Home.
- Paula Deen - Celebrity chef and cooking show television host.
- Nigella Lawson - English journalist, broadcaster, television personality, gourmet, and food writer.
- Cat Cora - American professional chef best known for her featured role as an "Iron Chef" on the Food Network television show.
- Jane Asher - English actress who achieved early fame as a child star turned entrepreneur, supplying specialist cakes and kitchenware, as well as publishing three bestselling novels.
- Bethenny Frankel - Founder, Skinnygirl Cocktails. American reality tv personality, talk show host, author, and entrepreneur.
- Jehane Benoit - Canadian culinary author, speaker, commentator, journalist, and broadcaster.
Awareness is key for growth
Although many strides have been made throughout the course of restaurant history, talented women chefs still lack broad access to capital to open restaurant chains, tend to get less press coverage and are nominated for fewer awards than their male counterparts.
On average, women still receive between 30 and 40 percent less pay than their male counterparts for the same work, according to the UN.
According to a Fast Company article written by OpenTable CEO Christa Quarles, only six of the 72 Michelin-starred restaurants are run by women – and it is not due to lack of talent.
2020: The vision is clear
There have been some very definite signs of encouragement over the past few years. Most notably, the James Beard Foundation set new criteria for its awards in order to be more inclusive of women.
This year, the foundation is hosting an International Women’s Day dinner at the James Beard House to celebrate some of the top women chefs in America. The dinner menu was created by six celebrated New York chefs.
These featured chefs are:
- Elizabeth Falkner, American consulting chef in NY
- Brianna Cooper, executive chef at Elevated Culinary Traditions, NYC
- Amanda Freitag, New York chef and frequent guest on The Food Network
- Patti Jackson, Michelin-starred chef and former owner of Delaware & Hudson, NYC
- Lucky Michaels, mixologist at Storico NYC, Trans Activist and Motivational Speaker
- Mimi Weissenborn, executive chef at Vinatería, NYC
Sometimes called Women’s Day, this day is considered a public holiday in countries including (but not exclusive to) Ukraine, Russia, Armenia and Belarus – where many businesses and institutions close for the day. In most countries, however, it is a national observance and some cities may host wide-scale events.
The future is still very exciting for women – and for all of us. The theme for the 2020 International Women’s day is #EachforEqual. As gender balance is essential for economies and communities to thrive, this day is a call to action to celebrate the achievements of women and increasing visibility while acknowledging inequality. According to Boston Consulting Group, 96% of organizations report progress when men are involved in gender equality.
Make International Women’s Day your day to do something that makes a positive difference like celebrating women’s achievement or raising awareness against bias.