Sexism in the Yachting Industry
Beauty over brains; do you have to pick one?
A point addressed and readdressed since the commercial yachting industry began.”Is my being hired based solely on my appearance? Are my skills considered at all?”
Women, especially, have been at the center this debate.
There is an opinion shared by some that the yachting industry is a thinly veiled beauty contest. One cannot deny that the industry prides itself on appearance. Yachts are expected to look immaculate, both inside and out. Crew must take great pride and effort in their image as presentation is part of the opulent experience. Flawless,faultless service is mandatory, and it must look effortless. But when are these industry standards taken too far? Under what circumstances do women feel patronised and objectified and are their grievances valid? Worse still, do some women perpetuate sexism in the industry by capitalizing on their assets alone?
Recently, a concerned yacht industry professional spoke out about her issues in this regard. Her statement came after a number of men were paying female crew members unwelcomed attention on social media.There were a series of uncomfortable comments that worked to undermine the female crew and their qualifications. “It is totally unfair to the girls looking for work that they have to put up with stupid sexist comments and a gazillion likes,” the anonymous critic began, “those comments belong on Tinder and not on a post from a fellow job seeking yacht crew.”
The response to the particular post published on 28 April on the Palma Yacht Crew Facebook Page was divided. A male yachtie said, “A great number of relationships start with a guy paying a girl a compliment. Whether it be at the supermarket, gym or petrol station… do you write to the supermarket chain and complain that sexism is out of control in their isles?” Another shared that, “Girls and guys know what sells in the industry and play towards it if they are smart,” while commenters opposed to those views said, “It’s objectification not a compliment.”
“Women don’t need compliments on job boards, it’s not what she’s there for,” another stated frankly.
Female crew experience sexism in both harassing comments that patronise their skills and abilities, as well as when it is assumed that they seek only interior or galley work, The industry has a gender based bias when it comes to job portfolios and who it deems capable of fulfilling those specific roles. This mentality is archaic and needs to be updated. Gender equality is being pursued tirelessly, if not already realised, in the workplace and the yachting industry is no different. Women, like men, spend a great deal of time making sure their portfolios look good. Part of that portfolio is a profile picture which gives the captain a better idea of the person they are considering for employment. An attached image is merely a visual aid because the assumption is that your C.V. or resume should speak for itself. In many corporate spaces to is illegal to deny an applicant a job because of their physical appearance. Comparatively it is extremely taboo to hire an applicant based on their level of attractiveness. The yachting industry,however, is one based heavily on aesthetics so the rules might be somewhat different. But should they be? Should female crew merely accept this online equivalent of wolf whistling as an occupational hazard? Should female crew sully their appearance in fear of their beauty taking attention away from their talent? Is the yachting industry to accept that men are unable to act purely professional in the presence of an attractive woman?
Our coming article will interrogate how sexism is destructive and discriminatory to both male and female crew. We all need to work together in creating a hostile free work environment we all feel equal and comfortable in.