“When we make heroes of women, we often sidestep or mute their sexuality and capacity to give birth (as in the case of Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and render them essentially masculine.” (from this LA Review of Books article by Sarah E. Bond & Joel Christensen)
Reading this reminded me that as female chefs in a male world, we are celebrated for displaying those “essentially masculine” qualities. Being strong, unemotional, getting things done, being efficient. Of course, all these qualities play an important part in our work.
But many renowned female chefs have built their success on feminine qualities too: really listening to their teams, putting love into their cooking, caring about how they handle their ingredients. I will go one step further and say that it is our feminine qualities that help us thrive in the industry.
It is time for us to really value those aspects of us, rather than see them as liabilities to our careers. The truth is those feminine values had a place in our kitchens, we would not be living with this status quo – a situation that no one is happy with. One that does not serve the wellbeing of either men or women in this industry.
Join me on Monday for a one-hour workshop on Work Life Balance for Women in Hospitality. And reconnect with those feminine qualities that support your wellbeing.
Bookings close on Saturday.