Gender (in)equality: The case of hospitality

Abstract

United Nations stated that one of the objectives of Sustainable Development by 2030 is to achieve Gender Equality. Despite the increasing of women in the labour market, and more specifically in hospitality and tourism, it is priority to have a better understanding of this reality. Therefore, this study aims to explore the gender perspective in hospitality. A quantitative study was conducted in order to answer the main objectives. The questionnaire used had 95 questions organized in 14 sections: sociodemographic characteristics; gender distribution according to the several functions of the hotels; and implementation of equality practices in the hotels. One hundred hotels participated in our study. The results showed that gender prevalence can be different according to department and seniority of the function. Women are prevalent in Administrative and Housekeeping and men in Food and Bevarage (F&B) and in Maintenance department. Men occupy more senior positions than women. The legal policies and human resources practices are gender equality-sensitive but there still exists differences related to important issues such as same salary for the same function. In conclusion, there are important aims to achieve in gender equality in hospitality related to the practices implement and the need of a deep debate in this field. The paper ends with some implications and suggestions for future research.