The Hindu : Kerala News : Entering a male bastion

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Kerala

Entering a male bastion

Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

MAKING INROADS: Women who wait at tables in restaurants in Kozhikode. —

Sruthi and Divya made history of sorts earlier in the year when they became waitresses at EFC, Kozhikode.

Women waiting at tables in a restaurant is not something you would see every day in Kozhikode city. Two other high-end eateries in the city also employ waitresses.

“Many guests were shocked when I approached them to take the orders,” says Shruthi, a B.Sc. Hotel Management final year student at ICNAS, Kozhikode. “They probably never expected to see a girl doing a job that is almost exclusively associated with men in Kerala.”

She says she is enjoying her part-time job. “It has been a lot of fun, especially because we have a lot of kids as our customers,” adds the girl from Vadakara.

Divya, who hails from Sulthan Bathery, is happy that she accepted the offer from EFC. “We could earn somewhere around Rs.4,000 to 5,000 a month, and we are also provided free lunch and dinner by our employers,” she says. “Not only are we able to meet all our expenses at college and hostel, we can also afford to send some money home, which is very gratifying.”

Remya, who works at Coffee Beanz, says she too feels comfortable at her job. “This experience would surely be of great use when we hunt for jobs,” adds the girl from Kodencherry.

Anupama, employed at Coffee Beanz attached to Kalyan Kendra, says the best thing about the job is that she gets to learn something new every day. “Things you would never find in your text book. The job has turned out to be more exciting than I anticipated. No, I have never seen a waitress before myself,” says the Koyilandy-based girl.

‘Good move’

K.J. Jose, operations manager, EFC, feels his company’s decision to employ girls has already paid dividends. “The girls are better than their male counterparts; they are more dedicated, committed and are better at interacting with guests,” he elaborates.

ICNAS chairman Johny Antony is delighted that the experiment has worked. “I thought the girls should have experience in all areas of the hospitality industry, including waiting at tables,” he says.

“Seeing us work, many women ask us if there is enough scope for girls in a job like this,” says Sruthi. “I am glad that we have shown that this is a job girls can do even in a small city like Kozhikode.”

It is interesting to note that all these four girls come from small towns.

P.K. Ajith Kumar

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