Over the past five years, LunchAssist has provided training that keeps school nutrition programs in compliance and elevates the profession. As a female-led organization, we are committed to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in all that we do. To learn more about gender bias, check out our free, 15-minute professional development lesson on Cultural Competence & Cultural Humility or learn more by visiting www.lunchassist.org. Paloma Perez-Bertrand & Jennifer McNeil HERstory of School Nutrition
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School Nutrition is often considered a female dominated field, but is that really the case? Despite being the majority in every school kitchen, there is a glass ceiling when it comes to women in executive leadership positions. Did you know that since its inception in 1862, the USDA has only ever had one female Secretary of Agriculture? One. And she was a white woman. Women of color are even more underrepresented, or not represented at all. As author Jennifer Gaddis narrates in her book, The Labor of Lunch, school food is a “product of generations of women’s activism.” American school meal programs were not started by Richard B. Russell, but by progressive era women in the 1890’s, and have been championed by female-led activism ever since. Why then do we continue to perpetuate degrading language and misguided tropes about women in our industry? In a 2017 article about how women “dominate” school nutrition, the School Nutrition Association published irritating stereotypes about women’s tendencies to be “frequently jealous, insecure, and easily threatened.” The article went on to say, “when women lack confidence, they resort to passive aggressiveness [that] can be particularly dangerous in a confined area, where sharp objects are readily available.” Seriously, SNA?
As members of an industry started by women, and made up of thousands of highly skilled, professional women, we are truly sick of these myths! It’s time to address it as an issue of systemic gender bias, still persistent in our field and perpetuated by the very organizations charged with advocating for our best interests. It’s time for a change. School Nutrition is a world where women work in some of the lowest paid positions, often without health or retirement benefits. School Nutrition is a world where “Lunch Ladies” are touted as heroes during a pandemic, but portrayed as serving inedible mystery meat in pop culture. School Nutrition is a world where women of color fill the majority of entry level positions and white men ride a glass escalator to the top. During Women’s History Month, let’s shatter the glass ceiling by confronting denigrating stereotypes, neutralizing gender roles, and disrupting outdated institutions that stifle progress. By doing so we will bring more respect to the women in our industry, level the playing field, and empower all women to reach their full potential. This month, as we celebrate all that women have accomplished, let us also acknowledge that we haven’t crossed the finish line yet. There is still so much work to be done!
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