A conference on ‘Women in Hospitality’ organized during the network’s 3rd annual seminar in Ho Chi Minh City provided the impetus for reflection on gender issues in the sector. It gave way to a series of activities on the topic.
One of them is the publication of Valued. Paid. Recognized., a study by Plan International and ASSET-H&C. The study provides a landscape of initiatives that promote women’s empowerment in the Mekong tourism and hospitality sector. It also showcases practices of some ASSET-H&C members that fosters the personal and professional development of disadvantaged students, especially young women.
Based on this outcome, a series of workshops was organized to accelerate mainstreaming a gender sensitive approach at school. The workshops, facilitated by a gender expert, provided guidance to members on integrating these practices in current and future gender-responsive strategies. The sessions also allowed ASSET-H&C to create a collection of recommendations to help members further improve gender mainstreaming at their respective establishments.
Gender equality is a universal right, generally recognized but only partially upheld.
Around the world, women still have less access to education than men, and thus make up more than two-thirds of the world’s 796 million illiterate people. Young adult women are almost four times as likely as young adult men to be NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training).
This partly explains why women and girls are over-represented among the world’s poorest populations. It is estimated that in 2021, 247 million women are living on less than $1.90 per day compared
to 236 million men, and it will take 267.6 years to close the economic gender gap.
Accelerating gender equality can be a game changer for the most unequal countries, potentially increasing their GDP by an average of 35 percent. This demonstrates women’s tremendous potential to contribute to the economy, yet it is a fact not fully acknowledged across all sectors.
Within tourism and hospitality, access to quality vocational training can empower women to achieve their full potential to contribute to the industry.
While the sector can truly provide a vehicle for social mobility, economic empowerment and inclusion for women, challenges remain in providing them with a decent and equal working environment. Women represent more than half of those working in tourism and hospitality. Often young, low-skilled and lacking education, they tend to occupy informal and low-paid jobs. Therefore, as a fundamental first step towards future empowerment of young women entering the industry, more efforts need to be put into increasing access to quality vocational training with a high focus on transversal life skills.
08.11.2018 | ASSET-H&C conference on Women in hospitality | Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 70 | Organizer |
23.04.2019 | Presentation of the 1st SpeakHER video @ “Empowering Women in Tourism” event organized by Impact Vietnam | Bún Bar, Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 18 | Speaker |
December 2020 | Official Release of “Paid. Valued. Recognized” | Online | Online | 25 | Speaker, co-organizer |
May 2021 | International Women in Travel and Tourism Forum by Women in Travel Cic, Panel discussion “Women changing travel and tourism: entrepreneurs, social impact and local communities” | Online | Online | 80 | Speaker |