That time we went to Helsinki...
So we went to Finland.
How on earth did we get there?
Her name is Hanna Karlson.
Photo by Mikael Nybacka
Hanna Karlson is a tenacious and talented bartender working at Liberty or Death. Hanna cares about this industry more than anything. She wants it to be the best it can be for those already in it, or about to start their journey. I knew this from the moment she got in touch sometime in April or May saying “We need something like this here, can you come here.” My reaction was an immediate ‘YES’, but we don’t have a little pot of money to dip in and out of (at the moment), so how on earth could we get to Finland? Hanna is a superstar connector, and connect us she did; to Emmi at Cointreau. After a little pitching and persuading, one of the leading spirit brands lent us their support (and stock for the event) so Jane and I, could make our way to Helsinki.
It was also through Hanna’s connections we met Kia Arpia, Pauliina Marjanen and Ida Syväniemi of Brinna. Brinna (actually means burn in Swedish) is the love child of Kia, a creative PR and marketing agency with strong hospitality values at its core. We could not have been in better hands. It was through these women we were able to bring L.O.R. Helsinki’s first event to life at Restaurant Werner, with food from Döner Harju, and a round table of ten of Helsinki’s leading ladies in the hospitality scene.
From left to right; Ida, Pauliina and Kia
Following an insightful and empowering discussion with these women, we opened the room up to a further 40 women from across the city from bartenders to managers, chefs and PR’s. Here are the highlights of what was discussed (sound familiar?):
Cutoff point for women who want to have children, therefore lack of older women in roles.
Juggling being a working parent, and the lack of respect given to a woman who works in this industry AND has a family.
The burden of guilt on mothers working in the industry.
Lack of (visible) female role models.
Front of House needs improving.
Speed of promotions can often mean people in senior roles don’t have all the necessary training.
HR duties often become an additional burden for women in their respective restaurant.
Lack of HR department due to cost/keeping staffing costs down.
People underestimate women. They are expected to be not as competent as a man.
Misconception women are not as strong or capable as men.
The beer world is heavily dominated by men, and therefore women can get overlooked.
Women always assumed as the sole caretakers of children and asked ‘Who is looking after the children?’.
Need for more exposure in the media of women, but also bad things occurring in the industry. Only positive stories get published, which is only half the truth.
Pressure to be ‘one of the guys’.
Women often asked to prove themselves – their knowledge always challenged.
I am still surprised when we go to a new city; that the issues women face in the hospitality world tend to travel. I keep thinking that we will hear something we haven’t had to address before, or better yet that things have improved – but no, the majority remain the same. We’ve heard similar grievances in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Brighton, Margate, Edinburgh and now Finland.
While it can be disheartening, in a way it means we are not alone. That we, as a collective, can work together to tackle these issues one service at a time. What you can do right now to start advocating change is to go against the natural grain that has been set out, and what you may have been previously taught. You can create flexible working hours for parents, encourage a better work/life balance within your business, and you can be a role model to those around you. The change starts with us, and if we don’t change, nothing ever will at all.
If you live in Finland and would like to be a part of the conversation, please join the Facebook group: L.O.R. Finland and say hello. Also subscribe to our newsletter.
We will be announcing our next event in Helsinki in the new year.