KEY TOPICS: Bangladesh, gender roles, Tupperware Inc.
*No summary included.
I know, the title of this post is a bit tongue-in-cheek. 'Tupperware' defies translation because it's a US trademark, an invented word to encompass a business operation. It isn't a literal English word, like business, kitchen or female, for which the Bangla language has an equivalent. If you're wondering, the respective translations are 'banijjyo,' 'ranna ghor' and 'naree.' Nevertheless, US-based Tupperware Inc. recently extended its reach all the way to Bangladesh via neighbouring India where the company launched operations in 1996 (news to me too). Looks like the company has become a bonafide multi-racial clan! Building a 'chain of confidence' that its all-female sales force can rely on is of great value in a conservative society like Bangladesh. But, ultimately, this clan is commercial in nature, so sell it must.
Right round the globe, women work, and that's no different here in Bangladesh. Inside and outside the home, women perform work to support their families. Some do unskilled work while others skilled. Sometimes, the work is highly skilled, as in the case of statistician and classical singer, Dr. Nashid Kamal, and of course the current leaders of Bangladesh's two major political parties, Sheikh Hassina and Khaleda Zia. But in academia and politics, men continue to dominate. Women with bold ambitions are still rare, and, for many, selling Tupperware as a source of income would be a bold move.
Furthermore, sales savvy is a developing concept here. As the retail sector, including food and beverage outlets, falls in step with a growing, more discerning middle-class, 'selling' will have to evolve into an 'experience' afforded to the (potential) buyer. Once the retail sector matures, competition for customers will become the norm. That's when the "customer is always right" motto will take hold. In that climate, the Tupperware saleswoman might be better off as she's selling more than a product, she's selling the idea of convenience and ease. Accordingly, a good saleswoman will strive to do even better - to sell more. This business model isn't new for highly developed economies, like Canada, the U.S. or the U.K., but it is for Bangladesh. The 21st century corporate mantra of profiting, which fundamentally drives Tupperware Incorporated as much as any other big business, seems to be gaining momentum in this South Asian country.
But there's more to the matter.
Retail shops, except for the upscale boutiques carrying select salwars and home furnishings, are almost exclusively staffed by men. It's mostly men who sell the saris, shoes, medication, flowers, cosmetics, milk, bread, tea, coffee and sweets, and many seem to do so as if it were an afterthought. Shopping in Dhaka, for instance, is so dreadfully functional that there's little consideration of the right or wrong way to serve a customer - let alone of gender diversity in the shops. So a sales force made up of middle-class women selling products to their self-built consumer base is downright revolutionary. Moreover, women supporting women (see above 'chain of confidence' link) to exceed their own expectations is a methodology that, while one may be skeptical of the company's intentions, can be truly empowering for the individual woman who experiences her very first earnings.
It may be a while longer before we hear 'Tupperware' spoken in Bangla. The company is now officially part of Bangladesh's business community, but it's not yet a part of the collective conscious. Whether through Tupperware Inc. or a series of corporations, women here will prevail, if that's what they want, collectively. 'Naree' was never meant to connote 'weak'; we made it so. Thus, we can undo this error so paid work is made fully accessible to every female - that would certainly be a shift worth fighting for.
*No summary included.
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| 2011 Tupperware Inc. Launch, Dhaka |
The Bangladeshi side of the family faces a unique challenge to the success of its new venture. Gender roles in this Muslim country beg the question whether Tupperware Inc.'s employees will be able to create a consumer shift here in favour of the savvy saleswoman. As I see it, they'll have to work hard on a few fronts, the first and most risky will be confronting the view that men are society's self-starters. Tupperware Inc. is optimistic that consumers will embrace its products. It'll just have to work hard to promote the value of its employees.
But there's more to the matter.
Retail shops, except for the upscale boutiques carrying select salwars and home furnishings, are almost exclusively staffed by men. It's mostly men who sell the saris, shoes, medication, flowers, cosmetics, milk, bread, tea, coffee and sweets, and many seem to do so as if it were an afterthought. Shopping in Dhaka, for instance, is so dreadfully functional that there's little consideration of the right or wrong way to serve a customer - let alone of gender diversity in the shops. So a sales force made up of middle-class women selling products to their self-built consumer base is downright revolutionary. Moreover, women supporting women (see above 'chain of confidence' link) to exceed their own expectations is a methodology that, while one may be skeptical of the company's intentions, can be truly empowering for the individual woman who experiences her very first earnings.
It may be a while longer before we hear 'Tupperware' spoken in Bangla. The company is now officially part of Bangladesh's business community, but it's not yet a part of the collective conscious. Whether through Tupperware Inc. or a series of corporations, women here will prevail, if that's what they want, collectively. 'Naree' was never meant to connote 'weak'; we made it so. Thus, we can undo this error so paid work is made fully accessible to every female - that would certainly be a shift worth fighting for.
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