Female Supremacy Articles - Page 11

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How damaging can these posters be to women who work in the brewing industry? In l992, five women filed sexual harassment lawsuits against the Stroh Brewery Co. (Detroit, Michigan). They charged that the portrayal of women in its beer advertising had come to symbolize the company's workplace attitude toward its female employees. Women at the St. Paul, Minnesota, bottling plant described being subjected to lewd and sexist comments and behavior, physical intimidation, and abuse by male co-workers. The women said the atmosphere was a result of the company's "sexist, degrading" advertising of the Swedish Bikini Team with Old Milwaukee beer (4).

Consensus among female brewers holds that the Swedish Bikini Team was a huge step backward for women in the brewing industry. Fahrendorf joked there are no role models for women in brewing "except the Swedish Bikini Team." She and Pomianowski believe that the women in the posters only further the stereotype that beer is a man's drink brewed by men.

ESTABLISHING A NEW ORDER

How can women overcome these barriers? A good first step is for women to actively and visibly participate in the brewing community. The more women participate by consuming beer, by home brewing, by competing, or by applying for jobs at breweries, the more stereotypes will be broken.