Perspective(s) by Kedge : Gender discrimination in the wine world

In this podcast, Florine Livat – associate professor at Kedge Business School since 2006 and a specialist in the wine economy – unpicks why the wine sector is still male-dominated, despite women playing an increasing role. With family businesses over-represented, company operations are often, quite naturally, passed down to sons. Women have to make twice as much effort to demonstrate their commitment and avoid being viewed as simply the daughter, wife or mother of someone else. A lack of physical strength is also cited as a reason for the sector’s patriarchal nature. Female winegrowers and sommeliers are elevated by the media, but this image presented on glossy paper skews public perception and suggests that women have a greater presence in the wine sector (and particular in positions of responsibility) than is actually the case. However, the wine sector is not immune to a general shift towards greater parity, and women are increasingly making their voices heard, both individually and collectively. Although there is still progress to be made, women currently have a significant impact on the wine sector.

Kedge Business School is a leading management school found in France, China and Africa.

In the field of wine, building on more than 20 years of experience, a close partnership between teaching and research has enabled the development of expertise that is being put to good use at:

• Kedge Wine School, which offers specific training in wine and spirits as well as hospitality and sommelier qualifications on its Bordeaux, Paris and Marseille campuses.
• The ‘Food, Wine and Hospitality’ centre of excellence that tracks changes in the wine sector. The applied research work undertaken enables a wide range of modern issues faced by the world of wine to be studied, decision-making aids to be proposed, and support to be provided to industry stakeholders