The International Women's Day, and Burger King's 'Women Belong In The Kitchen' Tweet

08/03/2021

Burger King, or BK, is an American multinational chain of hamburger fast food restaurants.

Founded in Florida, the U.S., in 1953, it has been conducting business, and survived financial difficulties in 1954. Having exchanged hands and owners for numerous times, the company has been competing with the likes of McDonald's, Wendy's and more, in the U.S. and beyond.

On Monday, March 8 of 2021, the world celebrates the International Women's Day.

Celebrated around the world, the day marks and is meant to be remembered, as the focal point in the movement for women's rights.

But Burger King made a big mistake when it attempted to highlight gender disparity in the restaurant industry.

It created a provocative tweet, which quickly backfired.

Burger King UK, women belong in the kitchen tweet
Tweets from Burger King UK, which caused backlash.

In a then-deleted series of tweets, the burger franchise celebrated the International Women's Day by tweeting "Women belong in the kitchen."

What the company really meant in its series of subsequent threaded tweets, was that the restaurant business that lacks female chefs.

All it wanted, was to raise the awareness, and welcome more female to the industry.

"If they want to, of course," reads a follow-up from its @BurgerKingUK account.

"Yet only 20% of chefs are women. We're on a mission to change the gender ratio in the restaurant industry by empowering female employees with the opportunity to pursue a culinary career."

The chain then marketed its scholarship program for female employees, so they can "pursue their culinary dreams!"

Burger King - women belong in the kitchen.

While the series of tweets and their follow-ups were received well, the initial tweet did not.

Many frowned Burger King's decision to use the statement, which was kind of ambiguous, and Twitter users have related it to sexism.

At first, the Burger King UK account defended the campaign, like when it replied: "We think it's weird that women make up only 20% of chefs in the UK restaurant industry," to a Twitter user who said "weird" to the campaign.

But after more angry Twitter users started flooding, the company determined that it would be safer, and wiser, to just remove the tweet and apologize: