Today as we mark women’s day, resorts across the Maldives are on social media posting about the women in the resort and trying to promote how they are supportive and inclusive of women. Is this really the case? Or are resorts just cherry picking and highlighting the one female on the island working among a hundred males? The one female manager in a management role of the resort among an EXCOM of males?

Let us look at some of the challenges women in the Maldivian Tourism industry face

1. Stigma from society
   Maldivian society has long viewed the tourism industry in a negative light when it comes to a place for women to work. The Maldivian tourism industry is generally seen as a bad environment for women and Maldivian families are not keen on sending their daughters into hospitality. Is this backward thinking of the older generation or is there truth to these words?
   
   
2. Frequent verbal harassment
   Resorts are predominantly male populated. Resort staff generally have a high tendency to openly make fun of or insult each other, which is generally a common behavior seen among men. However, it’s rather unfortunate that this behavior often turns into harassment toward women. Something said negatively at a woman or baseless gossip about women in the resort rather easily spread around.

   
   In addition to this, a lot of blatant harassment occurs from locals towards women in resorts as many times if said in Dhivehi the harassment or verbal abuse get brushed off. This can even occur among other staff in public and nobody would set in to address the issue.

3. Sexual Harassment and lack of protection from it
   Many women in the Maldivian tourism industry face harassment, time and time again we have seen women speak out against it and end with no action being taken by management to protect the employee or actions taken by the management to protect the abuser. Oftentimes the resort operations come above the safety of women and if having to investigate or let go of someone who is abusive to women would disrupt the operations, the abuse would end up being protected. Tell us, have you ever needed a case of sexual abuse in a resort to end with the victim’s rights being clearly protected?
   
   
4. Resort’s discrimination towards women with headscarf
   They will never admit to it, but everyone knows which resorts will disqualify a candidate for a job for the sole fact that they wear a headscarf. These are all resorts that are out today celebrating women’s day and equality, yet discriminating against women for such a reason.
   If your resort has not had one front facing female staff wearing a headscarf, is that by design or by coincidence?
   
   
5. Sexual Harassment from Guests
   There are many instances where staff is put into high risk situations when it comes to guest interaction. It may be the innate behavior of the guest or they may be drunk. Whatever the reason may be when guests display predatory behavior towards a female staff member, how many resorts have a management step up for the staff member and diffuse the situation? Or whatever the guest does, would the management do anything to prevent a guest from complaining? What do you think or what have you seen in these cases.

These are just some of the issues and challenges faced by women in the industry, there are many more that happen and a lot of progress that still needs to be made for resorts to be a workplace that can be inclusive of women.