Sexy Beer Part 2 [part 1]
As one of my first jobs in Cambodia, I taught English at a beer factory.
(No, I didn't get a discount or any 'freebies'.) It was fun to see the machinery in action. And I was impressed to see the company investing in their workers. (You can find a roundup of local beers reviewed at phnomenon.com)
In the States, someone working on the factory floor usually has no more than a high school education. These workers had good educational backgrounds, some had even traveled overseas to study, during the 1980s socialist era. They were being groomed to move up in the company, perhaps become local management.
I also saw the less attractive side of the industry. Beer ads here are hilarious and lack subtlety.
Then there are the young women who get a commission for selling their brand of beer. Vans pull up to a restaurant, and empty out their 'beer girls', and usually make a return journey - with substantially less occupants - later that night.
Via Maytel, I ran across 3 sites:
http://www.beergirls.org
Looks like a fair amount of effort went into assembling these, as well as a lot of well intentioned concern. (The last one seems to be in need of some site tweaks.)
Hmm... Testimony of beer girls? Who writes it, who screens it? Also, why aren't these sites in Khmer? Westerners have some clout, but the majority of beer in Cambodia is bought and drunk by Cambodians.
In sober scrutiny it looks like they're based on the efforts of Dr. Ian Lubeck, a Canadian researcher and activist. (Of Dutch origin?)
http://www.fairtradebeer.com/reportfiles/asp041202.html
The main ideas promoted are
1. raising the salaries of beer girls,
2. providing medicine to HIV positive beer girls and
3. health education.
Number 1 is a tough ask. I just don't see the beer companies ponying up a whopping salary increase. In a commission-based job, an economic incentive is essential.
Number 2 would be an innovation. Only a tiny number of NGOs/businesses/institutions in Cambodia are providing anti-retrovirals for their at-risk employees. I have a lot of respect for those who do. Cost and availablity are two factors.
Number 3 is key. Not just education for the beer girls, but for everyone who interacts with them. My HIV-positive friends (both foreign and Khmer) end up being educators by default. So many stupid myths out there.
Now apparently there's a 'Safe Selling Beer Program' (Heineken/Asia Pacific breweries, mainly education focused) to educate beer girls about HIV risks. Anyone have any more information on this? Newspaper articles, press releases? I'm a little wary of boycotts, unless they're really thought out. Can't I have my beer, and drink it too?
I've seen many underthought HIV awareness efforts in Cambodia. Some day I'd like to list a 'greatest hits' of HIV miseducation. I'm not a health expert, nor a beer expert. Looks like I'm going to need to dig up some more info.
I speculate that the beer industry will only be changed by people who actually like drinking beer. The above sites aren't exactly a celebration of that. Consumer pressure is the best leverage. I was blessed by the gods in a past life to spend three years in Portland, Oregon which had countless microbreweries. (Terminator Stout, I miss you.) My innovative Aussie housemate Richard used to brew beer in his bathtub, and my friend Jon in the States does the same, creating his own beautifully crafted labels. From a marketing point of view, I'd like to see someone should start a locally bottled brew that comes with an educational label and a condom attached. Drink safely.
And while that's fun to imagine, the sad truth is you can go to any small town in Cambodia and find a spot to buy a beer. But it's a bit more difficult to locate a place where condoms are openly available.
