Wonder Women of Wine and The Wine Nerd Release Results of the “2020 Gender Equality Study”
AUSTIN, TX – (Oct. 5, 2020) – The first-ever gender equality study conducted by the Wonder Women of Wine and The Wine Nerd found nearly two out of three women think hiring in the wine industry is biased, with the same number estimating it will take 10+ years to reach equality in wine. These sobering statistics are part of the 2020 Gender Equality Study that looked at top issues impacting equity among men and women in the wine industry.
Men and women view the top three barriers to gender equality the same: women are judged by different standards, women are less likely to be promoted to leadership roles, and women don’t receive as much mentorship.
“It was encouraging to see our respondents believe their organizations’ hiring practices are two times more fair than the industry as a whole, suggesting wineries, retail shops, distributors, importers and others are making headway when it comes to gender equality,” says Rania Zayyat, founder of Wonder Women of Wine. “However, 35% of women – compared to 27% of men – feel they are not compensated fairly for work and there are big differences on how they look to move that needle.”
Most notably, the majority of male respondents understand how to increase their income (64%) and feel comfortable negotiating (60%), while women were half as likely to agree with either, reporting 31% and 28% respectively.
When asked about harassment on the job, nearly two out of three women and almost one-third of men say they have been harassed or assaulted by a peer or colleague. However, of those who reported being harassed or assaulted, women were more than two times as likely to report their response to such behavior impacts their career. On the upside, more than half of all responses (60%) reported they have a safety net or outlet within their organization to report any unwanted advances and 54% said such advances are handled properly within their organizations.
In January, Wonder Women of Wine sent a survey to Wonder Women of Wine Conference attendees and the organization’s mailing list and shared via social channels, resulting in 554 responses representing a disproportionate number of female respondents in the wine industry. As a result, the study cannot make conclusions about the state of the entire wine industry or population. The purpose of the study, one of the only industry studies addressing gender issues on the job, was to help identify topics and issues to address at the annual conference and to consider for further study. The study did not collect race, ethnicity, or place of residence.
The 2020 Wonder Women of Wine Conference was scheduled for March 28-29 in Austin but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It included a full day of sessions tackle key issues including shifting feminism, standing up to sexual violence, entrepreneurship, advocacy and inclusion, health and wellness, and women in wine history. It also included a rooftop tasting featuring wines from more than 55 female winemakers, representing nine countries and 62 wineries – an unprecedented portfolio of wines made by women or from women-owned wineries.
About Wonder Women of Wine
Wonder Women of Wine (WWOW) is an organization dedicated to closing the gender gap between women and men in the wine industry and advocating for women in leadership positions. The foundation of WWOW is the two-day conference that will examine issues and offer solution-based discussions, networking and scholarship opportunities. WWOW empowers women to adopt leadership roles in all facets of the wine industry and advocates men to be equal voices for, and activators of, gender equality in wine in both professional and social settings. We foster mentorship between men and women alike in order to change the status quo. Learn more at WonderWomenofWine.com.
