Where are the women?
It is rare to see women working in the front of house in hospitality in Sri Lanka. Even where we are staying, the men do the room cleaning, cooking and service. You occasionally see younger woman working behind the counter.
In the traditional space, women are the ones who do the washing and are apparently also in the fields working in the hot sun. Largely hidden from view.
Our driver for the long trip from Colombo to Aragum Bay has three daughters, and all of them are highly educated in IT and medicine. One aims to go to London to complete her studies.
This is the contrast. Women around the world, even in the richest country on the planet, are fighting for an equal seat at the table and insisting on the right to agency over their bodies.
When I look at a company’s website now, I immediately go to the ‘about’ page. If I am confronted with a sea of white male faces, with an occasional ‘assistant to the CEO’ woman, this company is already lost to me. It matters not their size, success, or quality of work. They tell a story about who they are in how they are represented.
The future of humanity is on the line. It will not be the same people who brought us to this point who will create the solutions for a better future for all of life.
Photo Taken August 15th 2024
