The much-touted, hectic, biennial Auto Expo, which offers auto enthusiasts a peep into upcoming launches and futuristic concepts, is slated for this week. It’s common knowledge that auto makers often rely not just on their shiny new cars but also on female hostesses, aka “Booth Babes”, to add to the glam quotient at such events.
But do we need such regressive practices in this era of #MeToo, where millions of people are speaking up against sexual harassment, exposing gender biases in corporate culture? Isn’t it time Motown shunned such practices? In 2015, China banned the employment of skimpily-dressed female models at events which included the Shanghai Motor Show. More recently, organisers of Formula One said they ended the custom of employing walk-on “Grid Girls” as it was “clearly at odds with the modern day societal norms”. Both these decisions have evinced polarising reactions. The Chinese government’s decision led to protests by female models and a few women associations, while the latest move by F1 has been applauded by organisations like the Women’s Sport Trust, even though it has attracted criticism for leaving ‘Grid Girls’ jobless.
That said, no one can deny the fact that the practice of recruiting women to grab eyeballs reeks of sexism. At a time when the auto industry is reinventing itself to woo the millennials by focusing on more sustainable electric vehicles, doesn’t it make sense to give up on such gender biases? Auto companies need to remodel their strategies and work towards offering women more meaningful employment opportunities at events like the Auto Expo. Upskilling these young women by equipping them with real information about cars and the industry would be a great start.
Senior Assistant Editor