On a recent trip to France, I was reading one of those employment sections of the regional newspaper Ouest, Very similar to our supplements that seem to come out so often with our own papers, this one had pictures of long lines of job hunters, photos of earnest-looking people being interviewed, and those alarming statistics about so many people applying for so few jobs.
The thing that most caught my attention, though, was the content of classified ads. I noted several job openings for front desk jobs in hotels in medium-sized towns, each one stating h/f, or hommes/femmes (men or women). And they said to send a resume, letter of intention, and photo.
Male? Female? Send photo? I was amazed at what felt like a step backward. Many of us well remember the help wanted – male, help wanted-female ads. Our laws, customs, and expectations have changed. Seeing these details in the employment section of the newspaper made me grateful for all the legal struggles that have brought us into a more open world of employment.
Anne Headley's Blog 