Dr. Deirdre Curran:

Training should be compulsory and should adhere to industry standards. The perpetrators were usually people within an organisation who held a position of power - so they were supervisors, managers or owners. Often, there is only an owner in a small establishment. If the owner is the problem, then there is nowhere to go. There is also evidence that customers can dish out abuse. Post pandemic, there is lots of anecdotal evidence that that is the case. I hope to do further research on the matter.

On the gender issue, let us remember that 55% of people witnessed or experienced harassment. The most common grounds for harassment were gender, race and age. There is certainly evidence of gender harassment. I recall one particular voice submission in which a sexual assault on the basis of gender was referenced. There is evidence of gender-based harassment, but there is also evidence of other types of harassment. Dr. Mary Farrell from the Technological University Dublin has just published research on gender in kitchens. This is really useful research which shows that there is a gender discrimination dimension to working in kitchens as a chef.