Peru restaurant fined $90,000 for giving men and women different menus

A restaurant in Peru has come under fire after it was accused of sexism. The restaurant has been ordered to pay a fine of $90,000 after it was found that it gives women a different menu when they were dining with men. The restaurant in question is La Rosa Nautica which is a fancy restaurant which is built on a pier looking towards the ocean in the Peruvian city of Lima. 

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The controversy

It is in controversy for its practice of giving women who are with men a golden menu without a price listed for any of its dishes. Men were served blue menus which provided prices for the food items. However, the popular restaurant has reportedly, defended its decision by saying that the tactic is to let women enjoy a romantic evening with their partner without factoring in the cost of services.

Before a tribunal, Restaurant asserted the fact that practice should not be considered discriminatory. Authorities meanwhile have found the practice discriminatory against women. The National Institute for the Defense of Free Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property disagreed. In a 3-2 ruling, it proclaimed that women must have access to the same assortment of dishes with prices included. 

On top of the fine, the restaurant must start handing over men and women the same menu with prices, train the staff and post a sign which should display that discrimination will not be tolerated.

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Not the first instance

However, this is not the first time a restaurant has come under the lens for gender discrimination for giving separate menus for women. In the 1980s, the critically acclaimed restaurant L'Orangerie in Los Angeles was taken to court for sex discrimination. Customers took offence to waiters handing women a special white menu without prices and men a green-coloured one including the prices. The restaurant later gave in to pressure and agreed to drop the ladies menu. 

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(With inputs from AP)