International Women’s Day

On the list of “International Days”, one of the more important ones to celebrate is International Women’s Day. Although many corners of the world have come a long way when it comes to gender equality, we still have a long way to go. And everyone can make an effort here. Gloria Steinem said it best when she said: “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”

When women aren’t present, we must ask: “If not, why not?”

Every february, I spend a few nights camping outside Vinmonopolet at Aker Brygge, for the annual Burgundslipp. I am usually 1 of 2 women, or the only woman. And the other women are usually there with their fathers or boyfriends. As the number of people grow, the number of women does not. It’s been like this all of the five times I’ve participated in this yearly circus. And I’ve always wondered why. Are women less interested in getting their hands on rare wines from burgundy?  Or is it the weather? Are women less likely to camp outside in Norway in February? Or is it because they don’t feel safe camping on the streets in a big city? I honestly don’t know.

Regardless of the reason, it’s strange. And a bit sad. But what’s worse, is the number of times I got asked “which number is your boyfriend in the queue?” or “who are you visiting?”. The assumption being that I was not in the queue myself. Even the media covering the release assumed I wasn’t in the queue. A journalist standing in front of me looking around, asked her cameraman who they hadn’t talked to yet, then pointed to two young men right behind me and proceeded to shove past me, as if I wasn’t even there. And not to bring up a separate issue, but why talk to yet another pair of bottle flippers, instead of one of the only women in the queue?

Even when I was inside the store, with my ticket, waiting in line to get my hands on the wines behind the counter, a Vinmonopolet employee questioned my participation. To the man before me, he simply asked “Can I see your ticket?”, whereas when it was my turn, he asked “Do you have a ticket?”, as if I had ended up there by taking a wrong turn or something. What the fuck is that about?

And all these relatively insignificant examples show that we still have a long way to go. Because there are many worse things happening to women today. In some corners of the world, only 40% of girls finish secondary school[i].  Of all the Fortune 500 companies, only 10.4% have a female CEO[ii]. And don’t get me started on how women’s rights are being downright violated in the US these days. And while I can’t single-handedly solve any of these problems, I can do everything in my power to fight for women’s rights and equality for women.

Women in Wine

One way I feel like I can contribute, is to support women in wine. So, in honor of International Women’s Day, I am shining an extra light on female winemakers and women in the world of wine. And thankfully, there are quite a few. But I mean, why shouldn’t there be?! Today there is absolutely no reason why there should be more male winemakers or more men in this business. I know that back in the day it was considered more suitable for men, mostly because the work was very physical. I personally think this is a stupid excuse to keep women from working in a winery, even back then. But today, with the tools and equipment available, it’s an argument that can no longer be used.

And we see it more and more: women in the world of wine. Just the past few years quite a few young female winemakers have turned up on my radar. Lalu, Cadipress, Philine Isabelle, Prandi – and that’s just in Langhe. In addition to the new arrivals, we have to remember all those who came before. Women who have paved the way, and not just winemakers. But women in all aspects of the wine industry! And although we’ve come a long way in many parts of the world, many women still have to fight for their rights every day.

And that’s why it’s important to celerbate International Women’s Day. “Together we can forge gender equality. Collectively we can all #AccelerateAction.”

[i] https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/progress-girls-access-education-what-new-unesco-data-reveals#:~:text=Completion%20rates%20of%20girls%20increased,than%20there%20were%20in%202015.

[ii] https://fortune.com/2023/06/05/fortune-500-companies-2023-women-10-percent/