Gosh the "media' in Australia likes a beat up doesnt it? If more females wanted to work as barista's, I guess they just....would. No? Same as female pollies, and female executives etc etc etc etc etc.... There are two very capable and lovely female baristas working in the cafe in my roasterie. They know their job well and that is not just to make excellent coffee, BUT ALSO TO develop (business) relationships with the clients, engage them, know their orders, make them feel special, get them to come back etc. They are essentially, sales people. They have personality. They work as a team and handle a lot of pressure when its busy, always keeping their cool. The clients love them, and so management loves them as well... They were not selected on the basis of their gender, they were selected on the basis of who was the best candidate at the time positions were being filled. It will be the same again next time there is a position vacant, so there is just as much chance a male could be selected instead..... As an employer, the brief should be to always improve the quality of your staff to better your business. If you interview a bunch of potential baristas, you go with the one you think will do the best job for you, and that has to be irrespective of gender. Gender equity, is not the act of favouring/weighting female candidates over male candidates just for the sake of pressure from outside to get a more even gender balance in the workplace. Notwithstanding, perhaps the journos would like to take a look at the Childcare Industry where there is a ***disgraceful*** gender equity problem because......99% of all child care workers are.......female....and where males are looked upon with suspicion lest they be child molesters... No? thought so. Childcare Industry doesnt have the same BS appeal as Coffee industry does, and the BS industry must crank on... 😉
