2016 Jun 11
by Ridmi Upeksha
Tea industry in Sri Lanka is a highly recognised industry in the whole wide world. Sri Lankan tea has been known for its uniqueness and the demand for Sri Lankan tea has never seen a decline in past years. With the growth in demand, tea industry has expanded itself all around the country to cultivate all types of tea for consumption. These locally grown tea are mostly exported to international countries – big time tea consuming country’s such as – Russia, UAE and Iraq are few of the countries amongst a long list of nations.
Tea market place like the stock market is an extremely competitive environment which has a hierarchy of people, out of which are mostly male. Buyer, sellers, auctioneers are the most important personnel in the tea market place most of these positions are handled by men, and one could reason why? Tea market place like the stock market place is a hardcore environment with a lot of pressure and both of the places is created for highly motivated achievers. When you say achievers, one could be going for deep lengths to achieve it one way or the other. Competitiveness is so high in the environment is practically turned into a jungle with lionesses praying on gazelles to survive in the jungle. Stock market place in Sri Lanka has a considerably higher number of talented competitive female personnel compared to the tea market place. After so many years of exposure to career and gender transformations, when it comes to offering job titles to women in the country is comparatively less. There is a handful of women who are actually selling tea at the auctions.
What could be the reason for less number of women to be on the stand selling tea at auctions? For a person to be able to be a good auctioneer there are certain requirements that needed to be followed to be able to sell fast, accurate and know the audience. All of these can be trained and adapted to for anyone either is a male or a female person if there is the correct desire and determination. But the downfall and negative points starts to appear when one enters the market for the first time. Competitive environment, tough characters, maximised effort are few of the things that a new comer unveil in to. Since the tea market place in Sri Lanka is currently circling around big time male personnel and has been for quite a while, the mindset of whoever is involved in the industry tend to defy when a female character is starting her career in the tea market place. The best auctioneers in the tea market place is known and normed to be male characters. This shouldn’t discourage anyone who the passion and determination to achieve what they want to become, but it sure is a con when looking at the progress of a female auctioneer’s career – this reason can slowdown that progress massively and the impact created on that person is considerable. The female auctioneer’s career progression can be hindered because of this so believed norm of men being the best auctioneers in the industry, so are the buyers, sellers etc. Moreover, the impression a female identify as they enter the industry is also another negative point when pursuing their career in the tea industry. For a Sri Lankan girl with less consideration for traditionally accepted norms of presenting themselves in the society – tea industry is an environment with an extreme culture. Adapting to a working environment and the new culture, is a requirement for any new comer. They enter the industry adapt to it and they should be able to present themselves for who they are and that presentation of their character is accepted later in by rest of the work group, that is a the meaning of being part of group. When it comes to the tea industry they are strictly glued to their view of how female personnel should present themselves amongst rest of the workers. For an employee there are few basic rules of self presentation, but yet here they change it into what they believe is acceptable and impose those beliefs on these new female. However, the continuous attempt of some of the main characters in the industry to bring in more female characters is admirable.
Mindsets of those who are in the industry need to be changed into our modernised world, accept all for who they are and encourage the youth to continue their career in Sri Lankan tea industry. Industry so vast and growing need all the capable, fresh, active youth for its development.
