Hold the Dressing: Controversy about uniform requirements in the hospitality industry

You would think that by 2017 we wouldn't be dealing with gender discrimination and workplace bias. Unfortunately, it still happens! I recently discovered an article about how gender-based uniform requirements are causing controversy in British Columbia.

The Issue: Are Women being asked to dress in unfair work attire?

So here's the stitch, British Columbia's Green party leader, Andrew Weaver brought the debate to light last week on International Women's Day. The bill he proposes would prevent employers from setting mandatory footwear requirements based on gender. It would not completely ban heels from all workplaces, but rather it would provide that the employers comply by setting the same dress code requirements for male and female staff. Currently, there are many restaurants, bars and lounges that have a specific dress code in place, and some of those still include a minimum heel height or specific footwear requirements.

  

"It's a no brainer. I can't think of a compelling argument anywhere to say restaurant owners should be allowed to require women to wear high heels in a restaurant," Weaver stated in an interview "It just doesn't make sense."

 The positive news about Weaver's proposal is that it sounds like it will be put into action in British Columbia, very soon! Premier of the province, Christy Clark fully supports the proposal. On Monday, she told a news conference that her government is looking at the "quickest and simplest" way to implement the change. With this, as well as many other Parliament members and businesses support, this change will likely be implemented within the next few months.

"We're not old-fashioned"

Now for the real question, What has taken so long to address gender discriminatory dress code?! It should be common sense by now that wearing heels for an extended period of time is 1) Unsafe in a restaurant environments 2) Impractical in performing serving jobs effectively and 3) Completely painful, they're not comfortable at all!

In the United Kingdom there is even an online petition that has gathered over 150,000 signatures to address how "outdated and sexist" workplace dress codes are, and it will soon be debated in Parliament.

Typical waitress stereotype
example in movie, Waitress

The point of this being is that just because enforcing gendered uniforms has been acceptable conduct for so long, it does not mean that women should settle for this being right!

Is the male gaze a factor?

You bet it is! Footwear is only part of a bigger issue regarding discriminatory dress code in the workplace. The other issue being skirted around about gender discriminatory dress code is how meager the required uniform for female staff can be. A good example I have of this is from a friend of mine who worked in a clothing store. She recalls numerous times that ladies came to the store in search of short skirts that would not surpass the maximum length required for their serving job. 

How does the length of a skirt determine a woman's ability to perform her job well? The fact is that it doesn't. The aesthetic looks of female servers are being regarded as important in attracting the attention of the male gaze.

In an interview asking Weaver about his thoughts of other discriminatory dress codes being banned, he agreed that requiring servers to wear short skirts was outrageous. However he also commented on the subtle differences of why it is harder to enforce:

"It's hard to argue the health and safety aspect with short skirts...With the high heels, you can definitely argue the health and safety aspect"

So, while mandatory short skirts still need some work to becoming optional, at least it's

Time to toss the heals!

References

• http://www.news1130.com/2017/03/13/premier-backs-bill-ban-high-heel-requirement-bc-eateries/
• http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/its-old-fashioned-b-c-premier-pledges-action-for-workers-forced-to-wear-high-heels-on-the-job
• http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/no-more-high-heels-b-c-looks-to-end-gender-based-footwear-requirements-1.3325380

#Niunamenos

Imagine the headlines in Canada or the United States if a kindergarten teacher’s ex-husband had walked in, and slit her throat in front of her class…

A bit of background:

       This exact case was the unfortunate fate of Maria Lanzetti (44) in Argentina, becoming one of the more famous examples of the increasing hyper masculinity of Latin America resulting in the #Niunamenos movement. Young Chiara Paez and Lucia Pérez, victims of murder at age 14 and 16, are also cases which categorize as femicides as these women are being tortured and killed by men, due to their sex. These are some of many tragic attacks on women due to gender which sparked the Latinex community to take action in the form of the biggest feminist rally ever recorded in Argentina of 300,000 people. Many believe that the ‘machismo’ culture is at the root of the problem and the starting place for change. Despite little legal changes being made, the rallies and marches demonstrate power and strength in themselves. 

       The motivation behind the movement seemed to be driven by the unacceptably high gender violence statistics which can be explored at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/niunamenos-how-a-schoolgirls-brutal-gang-rape-and-murder-united/

      
       To a young woman such as myself, it is frightening to see such horrendous statistics when we are supposed to be living in a world moving towards equality. Immediately upon hearing of this issue in Latin America I quickly thought about how interesting it is that most people in Canada or the United States will have never heard of this movement. It seems as though many feminist issues are confined to the media of their own countries such as the missing and murdered Indigenous women. The recent worldwide women’s march provided a refreshing contrast to that theory. By using social media under the hashtag #Niunamenos, meaning not one less (woman), the women of Latin America were able to expand their activism. They now have close to 40,000 followers on twitter @NiUnaMenos_and more than 600,000 posts using the hashtag on Instagram. Using social media as a platform is one of the quickest ways to spread awareness in today’s society.

      

       After having explored the movement, I found myself falling into the Rescue Industry in the position of ‘white savior’… which is interesting coming from someone who self-identifies as Métis. Regardless, I found myself thinking of different ways to help spread the word in western countries, and raise awareness to help Argentina and the dozen other countries being affected. Later, I realized that these women held a three hundred thousand person rally for their Latina women and the femicide issue, meanwhile there has never been such an enormous rally for the Indigenous women of Canada. It put into perspective where I stand, and helped me see how other countries could be thinking the same way about our own femicide issues...

       Could these ‘third world women’ be looking at Canada’s Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women crisis and thinking ‘If only we could share our expertise and HELP them out’? I think it would be naïve to think that this is not the case.

       The successful rallies and actions are proof that these women are not helpless and are not at all dependent on western societies to ‘free’ them. As a Canadian woman, it is difficult to try and find a balance between wanting to become active in the many different movements around the world, while steering clear of the ‘white savior’ attitude. I believe that by acknowledging our position and altering our ways of going about participating in these movements, we will find more success.

To learn more, 

*This video provides valuable insight by hearing from women directly affected by the movement.

Our first radio show!!

Today Michelle, Ben and Morgan did their first radio program for the Laundry List at the CFCR Saskatoon's Community Radio headquarters. Even though they were nervous and excited and did not like the sound of their voices, they did an amazing job talking about representations of race and gender in Canadian popular culture! Then Alanna, Jasmin, Renee and Qin recorded their segment on the Latin American #NiUnaMenos movement. It at went really smooth and everybody was happy with the results. 

LISTEN to their show this Monday March 13th at 6pm!!

Stop the Shaming

Stop the Shaming

Do you ever look in the mirror and want to change certain parts of your body?

-       Yeah, me too. Being a woman, I do this all the time. Not just every day, but maybe even a few times in a day.

But why?

           

            Looking at the controversy over Lady Gaga’s body after her Super Bowl performance, I believe says it all. If you are a fan of Gaga or not, I think most would agree that her performance was very talented and entertaining. You can watch it hear, if you have not already seen it here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txXwg712zw4 . After this performance, people starting ‘fat shaming,’ Gaga. This was confusing to me for a number of different reasons:

1. Gaga, is not over weight at all, and does not look close to it, so what are people looking at?

2. Oh, her belly? I would not call that fat, I would simply call that skin.

3. How do people find enjoyment out of calling others down?

4.  Is that the only thing people could find to call her down about, because they did not have anything bad to say about her performance?

5. Why does it seem that it is mainly females that are called down for their bodies, and usually not males?

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/lady-gaga-super-bowl-abs

Gaga handled the people who were ‘fat shaming’ her in a well-mannered way. You can see it here on CNN’s website: http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/08/entertainment/lady-gaga-body-shamed/ . What I have to say about it is, #pathetic.

           

          I am almost in my twenties and I am a woman, I have experienced people calling me down about my body, and to my face. For women, there is so many expectations, too many expectations. I am called down because I am a “stick” and I have “no butt.” These are not only said to my face, also probably behind my back, but said in front of others… #confidence booster #not. Who mostly makes these comments? It is men, they, along with the media put on these high expectations for women to be a size two with big breasts and butt, and if you do not meet these expectations, your body is ridiculed.

            

         Do not get me wrong, I do like looking good, with my make-up and hair done, but even when I am all done up, I still can look in the mirror and want to change things about my body. I know not every woman is like this, and maybe I do lack confidence, but when people shame others like the Lady Gaga situation, it can make women think twice about their appearance. The ideal body is almost impossible to achieve without undergoing plastic surgery or starving themselves. Our society has put these expectations on women without putting many on males. Perfection, in societies eyes, can never be reached for a woman.

            

         I am sure there are women who have gone up to males put them down on their body, but it does not happen as much with men constantly looking and critiquing women’s bodies. Personally for me, I have not gone up to a man and said, “you have a beer belly” and not saying I should, because two wrongs do not make a right, but women should be able to love their bodies, without men putting them down. Also, not all the comments are made by men, women will put other women down about their bodies as well. This is how or society has socialized us to be, due to the high expectations that there are and that we learn throughout our lives. Women should not have to look in the mirror ever, and feel as they need to change something about their image. On the CNN page that was already mentioned Gaga notes in one of her tweets; we need to love our bodies, and we need to be ourselves (CNN, 2017). Rather than wishing our bodies to be something that they are not, we need to embrace them! #bestrong #beyourself

Sydney Andrusiak

 References

Mackenzie, M. (2017, February). 7 Photos Of Lady Gaga’s Crazy-Fit Stomach At The Super Bowl. Women’sHealth. Picture retrieved from: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/lady-gaga-super-bowl-abs

NFL. (2017, February). Lady Gaga’s FULL Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl LI Halftime Show NFL. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txXwg712zw4

Respers, L. (2017, February). Lady Gaga responds to Super Bowl body shaming. CNN entertainment. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/08/entertainment/lady-gaga-body-shamed/

The Importance of Pro-Choice

It has been almost two months since the Women’s March on Washington. However, one notion was raised during the movement that did not sit well with me: pro-abortion

I saw many users on facebook directing this term as an insult toward women in the march. Or anyone who identified as pro-choice and supported abortion rights. 

A screenshot from my facebook with headlines and users promoting the term "pro-abortion"

👉was it really a "pro-abortion" march?

Personally, I identify as pro-choice because I strongly believe that no woman truly knows how they would react to pregnancy until they themselves experience the situation. I support women who choose to give birth, as well as women who acknowledge that they are not prepared for the lifelong task of raising a child. Therefore, I am fully in favour of pro-choice policies and safe abortions. 
That does not mean I am pro-abortion. 

In fact, is anyone truly “pro-abortion”? I would argue that no one enjoys the procedure, nor do they get pregnant with abortion as the end goal. Therefore, it is unfair to use this term to describe or insult people who support the idea of accessible and affordable abortions or a woman's right to choose. 

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Abortion Stories Before Roe v. Wade  

(the video link above emphasizes the severity of abortions and the importance of individual choice) 

* The last woman in the clip worked as a doctor for many years and states that making abortions illegal will not stop them from happening. Instead, self-harm or accidental death will result in order to have an abortion. 
This thought is horrifying and heartbreaking considering the scientific and medical advancements which has made the procedure safe and effective. 

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Individuals may choose to identify as pro-life. Meaning, they believe that human life begins at the moment of contraception and do not support the act of abortions. 
However, it is entirely possible for pro-life supporters to support pro-choice policies for others.

Recently, Saskatoon’s own Brad Trost had to cancel his anti-abortion rally in Saskatoon because of a facebook organized protest against his pro-life policies. 
→ http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/saskatoon-library-brad-trost-anti-abortion-meeting-1.3954098

I  believe that if Brad Trost identified as a pro-life AND pro-choice candidate, the protests would not have happened. However, his rally was specific to anti-abortion and quickly drew controversial attention.

As I mentioned earlier, it is perfectly okay to identify as pro-life due to personal ethics, morals, or religion. 
However, it is not okay to take another woman’s right or choice away. Especially when the matter concerns her body and life. 
Therefore, I will continue to support pro-choice activism.

In order to make sure women maintain their right to safe abortions, there are a number of ways to get involved :

1. Action Canada -This organization is dedicated to helping women gain access to safe abortions across Canada. In addition, they are leading the women's movement by being the voice for sexual and reproductive international policy. Importantly, there is strength in numbers and requires public support 💛  https://www.sexualhealthandrights.ca/                                             
2. Voice support to your local and federal government! - Canada is planning to counter President Trump's recently instated "global gag rule" by investing more in sexual and reproductive rights 💛 Read the full story here!                                                                                                                                                                                                             
3. Remember that even if you are "pro-life", you can still offer your support toward pro-choice policies and women around the world 💛