We have talked before about how men can experience discrimination in society, and today, we’re going to expand on this topic with a career perspective in mind. While much is said about the industries that are dominated by men, there are also a number of industries that are dominated by women.
It’s fair to say that the best working environment is one that is equal, and not dominated by a particular gender. As a result, the need to redress the balance in the female-dominated industries is just as important as it is in the male-dominated industries.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the female-dominated industries are more “caring” or “nurturing”. This means that many men feel they can’t work in these industries due to the societal expectation that men do something “manly”. This is the same kind of pressure that women feel to do something “womanly”, and it’s just as wrong. Ultimately, stereotypical expectations of gender roles hurt both men and women.
So if you want to be a part of the solution, here are five careers that are — statistically speaking — dominated by women.
1) Nursing
Nursing is the most female-dominated industry by far, with women comprising over 90% of the nursing workforce. If you wish to enter nursing, you will need to undertake a number of qualifications, but the good news is that you won’t struggle for jobs when you have qualified— nursing is chronically understaffed.
2) Elementary and middle school teachers
80% of elementary and middle school teachers are women. If you already have a degree, retraining to be a teacher is surprisingly manageable. Additionally, as with nursing, you will likely have no problem finding a job once qualified due to staffing shortages.
3) Social workers
Social work is often seen as “women’s work”, but this is an issue that needs to be redressed. Social work is tough, and it needs an equal balance of both men and women to ensure that adequate help is provided to those in need. If you wish to transition your career into social work, you’ll need to look at taking a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW); the good news is that you can take an online BSW so you can study around your existing schedule. Given that 80% of all social workers are women, your perspective in this area is definitely required.
4) Meeting and convention planners
If you have good organizational skills, you’ll find yourself a natural fit for life as a meeting and/or convention planner. In terms of qualifications, experience and ability is more important than formal qualifications in this field, so you may want to try part-time work with an established company so you can build a reputation. From there, you should be able to advance up the ladder as you gain more experience.
In conclusion
The four careers above are dearly in need of more male candidates. If you want to find a fulfilling career that also helps to redress an imbalance, then venturing into one of the careers mentioned above would be an excellent choice.
