It is disappointing that thirty years after the beginnings of the modern women's equality movement, there is still so far to go. It does not just affect women. The four examples that I posted below are discriminatory towards men as well. As stated, men cannot obtain one of the below jobs even though there is no reason a man cannot perform the same job as well as the stated desired candidate. For any man looking for a job, that ought to provoke some righteous anger. For a woman, it reinforces the stereotype that they are only as good as their sexual parts and even then, only if they are young, good looking and 'fun'. 'Fun' is the most interesting euphemism in these ads. What is meant by 'fun'? The willingness to be the object of overt sexual desire and harassment by the male employees and customers of the firm and still wear a smile?
I also wondered what made those posting the ads stop where they did. If you are going to cross the line into gender bias and inappropriateness, why not go all the way? In item #1 below, why not just say, "We have horny male mortgage execs who would like you to be willing to lie down on the conference room table on occasion (or frequently)". In item #2, why not just say, "Our bar does not have much to offer in the way of entertainment, so our way of drawing customers in is for them to ogle pretty young female bartenders who somehow find such ogling charming. Big breasts a big plus." In item #3, why not say "Girls who find fat sweaty middle aged golfers sexy given preferential treatment". Item #4 is too easy. A store that sells high end men's clothing specifically requiring a female or excuse me, a 'Shop Girl'. The pigs that posted this ad should just say it, "Look, our clothes are just not good enough on their own to sell. If you are not there for men to stare at, they will not buy them. Going back to Item #2, most people would be surprised to discover how many job listings require a female and a photo and these are jobs like job #2 that have no reason listed why a male could not perform the job. There are thousands of jobs and requirements like these out there, some less obvious and less publicly known and some are at the most established and respected firms. Rumor has it that Bear Sterns mandates that the people working at the front desks in concierge positions at one of their NY offices have to be women and are required to wear skirts.
Where are the local, state and federal agencies that are responsible for enforcing laws dealing with employment and hiring practices? These firms are not even going out of their way to hide their discriminatory conduct. If there was any sort of will to enforce the law, these firms would be easy to catch and prosecute. It seems that protecting women against abuse and men against denial of such jobs is not a priority at any level of government.
Again, it is a sad commentary on our society and its business practices that these sorts of things are still going on. I hear a lot from certain segments of males that women do not need to fight anymore for equality, as if it is already a done deal. We all can now see that this is not the case. Not only is it not the case, those who persist in disgusting practices do not even feel the need to hide them.
1.
http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/ofc/178715743.html
Office assistant
Reply to: job-178715743@craigslist.org
Date: 2006-07-05, 5:41PM EDT
Energetic and dependable girl needed to assist in the daily duties at a Queens branch of a New Jersey based Mortgage company.
Must be articulate and willing to learn, the right candidate will have room for advancement.
no -- Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
no -- Please, no phone calls about this job!
no -- Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
no -- Reposting this message elsewhere is NOT OK.
http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/ret/178935501.html
2.
BARTENDER NEEDED - fun, fast, friendly girl required
Reply to: job-178935501@craigslist.org
Date: 2006-07-06, 10:37AM EDT
Local, busy neighborhood bar with great steady clientelle is looking for experienced barmaid / barmaids for busy shifts. Must be neat and presentable, as well as fun, personable, friendly, and professional. Please send your info, experience, and photo to schedule an interview. Make sure to include your home town.
Thank you.
Job location is Nassau/Suffolk Border - South Shore
http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/ret/173724710.html
3.
Golf Course Beverage Cart Girl
Reply to: job-173724710@craigslist.org
Date: 2006-06-20, 10:49PM EDT
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