McDonalds made a powerful statement, that you just might have missed the reasoning behind.
If you drove past the McDonald’s in certain US locations, such as Lynwood, CA in 2018, you might have thought you were getting punked. – The fast food giant had flipped it’s iconic M arches upside down.
You’re eyes do no decieve you, this actually happened, and all for good reason.
This company says that this move was meant to celebrate International Women’s Day, in “celebration of women everywhere,” a McDonald’s representative had said. (Get it, the M now looks like a W).
Employees proudly wore the “W“-esque logo on their shirts and hats. There was special packaging featuring the logo at 100 stores nationwide as well.
McDonald’s spokesperson Lauren Altmin said that the logo change was in celebration of women everywhere. “We have a long history of supporting women in the workplace, giving them the opportunity to grow and succeed.” says Altmin.
“In the U.S. we take pride in our diversity and we are proud to share that today, six out of 10 restaurant managers are women. The logo will be changed on all of the company’s social media channels and 100 restaurants will have special “packaging, crew shirts and hats and bag stuffers,” she continues.
However, this didn’t come without some backlash, with many calling it out as an empty gesture, and that McDonalds has policies in place that systemically disadvantage women.
In particular, the company has fought a sustained battle against increases to the minimum wage, an issue that affects women disproportionately.
According to the Labor Department, women make up nearly two-thirds of all hourly minimum-wage earners. Recent research suggests women benefit most from increases in that minimum.
What do you think of this gesture from 2018?
