Male-Dominated Industries That Need More Women

There are many different industries that men have largely dominated, making them, by way of tradition alone, more difficult for women to break into even as the workforce continues to shift dramatically. However, by not entering these fields, we continue to exaggerate the gender divide, making it increasingly difficult for future women to even try to enter these fields. Here are a few areas that need to be more resourceful when it comes to recruiting women.

Oil and Gas

This industry has forever been dominated by men, on the front lines of the operation and in executive positions. Outsiders look at oil and gas and see a dirty, demanding job that does not have an inclusive work culture. The presence of women in this industry has grown steadily through the years, but it is still by no means equal to men’s. This industry is an excellent field for engineers and business majors as well.

IT and Computer Science

Another heavily male-dominated industry is computer science and IT. STEM fields have long been framed as only available to men, with people saying that men can be rational and logical while women lean toward feelings and emotions. This belief has been continually shown to be false, and there has been a significant push for more women in STEM in recent years. As a result, our role in these fields has snowballed, but it will still take some time to make a more significant dent in challenging these rigid gender hierarchies and “bro” cultures.

Construction

The construction field has seemed cut off from women for the longest time. A perception was created that it was hard manual labor for men who are masters of their craft. Truthfully, though, women have been able to do this work for a long time and even excel at it. One large barrier with industries like this is that any woman who enters these jobs can be labeled “masculine” or “not a real woman.” These mindsets have changed through the years, and we will continue to change them as we make these male-dominated industries more inclusive for other women.

Thankfully, there are a variety of resources for women working in male-dominated industries. Our presence in these fields will only be more known as time goes on. Of course, we’ve been part of these fields for a while, but women should keep breaking into male-dominated industries and erase the idea of male-dominated industries in the first place.