Millions of people look for job demands every day. Some are fresh graduates; others already have years of experience under their belt and run seriously complicated struggles. Some want a career change; others wish to resume what they have started but have had to hold off due to personal issues. Despite that, if you look at various essential data, you will notice the lack of gender inequality challenges in a few enterprises.
One particular thing I am talking about is my female friend’s experience while trying to earn money. Since many dominated industries were not hiring en masse, she decided to become an Uber driver to generate income for her bills. Her chosen work time was between 9 P.M. to 2 A.M., assuming that commuters would pay extra at night.
The Importance Of Learning And Understanding The Need For Overall Wellness And Balance
As it turned out, though, my friend got at least one canceled trip or two every night. She wondered initially if it was because the would-be passengers chose to walk or grab a taxi. However, after meeting other male Uber drivers and hearing that no one ever declined their services, she realized that seeing her gender segregation must be the problem. After all, men have more confidence in driving than women– studies have proven that, and many people believe it. It does not matter to them if the same studies claim that women are safer drivers than men.
Is It Really That Unfair?
If talking about women and men, of course it is! Transportation is not the only male-dominated industry across the globe. You can hardly find women employees as construction workers, miners, computer programmers, engineers, or software developers.
It is not due to women’s lack of interest in those fields but about the physical health. Many strive to work in such industries out of love for them to secure workplace mental health and get rid of workplace stress despite male dominated occupations.
Nevertheless, male-dominated industries were not 100% impenetrable. Some accepted women due to their incredible skills; others did it to avoid getting labeled as gender-biased. Either way, the women had to work harder than everyone to keep up with men dominated work or prove that they were better than the latter.
How Does It Affect A Woman’s Cognitive And Emotional Wellness?
Men and women and different. But in all fairness, since women pretty much expect some form of gender discrimination in their chosen fields before they get hired, they prepare themselves for it early. Because of that, misogynistic colleagues or biased bosses could not always affect their mental health and well-being and make them want to quit. Some even managed to earn the respect and admiration of their male colleagues or coworkers to the extent aspects that they were treated as “one of the boys.” That seems to be the highest compliment when women work with guys since they are seen as equals.
The problems merely appear when a weak-hearted woman starts working in male-dominated field out of sheer desperation to find a job. When they feel less recognized or appreciated than their male counterparts, they cry in the bathroom or curse everyone behind their backs. If the promotion goes to someone else, they get upset and hand over their resignation letter. Then, they develop depression and do not want to work with men again.
How Should A Woman Think While Working In A Male-Dominated Industry?
From the get-go, women need to know their rights as an employee, especially if they are working in male dominated industry. For instance, if the men receive X amount of bonus, they should also get the same amount. If a higher position opens, everyone should be able to apply for it and be considered relatively. Once women working experience discrimination in a male dominated occupations, they can appeal to the executives or go straight to government officials who handle such risk problems.
Women should not tolerate emotional or verbal abuse either. Although it rarely occurs in well-established industries these days, there are still some unique cases where women get taunted or treated as inferior by men and sometimes even experience sexual harassment. Instead of taking it all in quietly, afraid of losing your job, you need to speak up and inform the authorities about it. That’s the only way for them to prevent them from treating other women like that.
Consequently, it is wrong for women to expect to receive special treatment in a male-dominated industry because of their gender. You are entitled to different benefits, such as having a separate bathroom, for sure, but your workload should be similar to that of others. Doing otherwise will create patterns of discriminatory ways toward male employees, especially if you hold the same positions.
Final Thoughts And Takeaway To Consider
Many women cannot stand understanding and working in male-dominated industries; that’s why some have banded together to create their own industries. Since their talents cannot shine in those areas, they make sure to build a platform for themselves where no one will feel like they can be bossed around due to their gender. For that, everyone is proud of your workforce accomplishments.
In case you are still in a male-dominated industry, though, ask yourself: “Am I treated fairly here?” “Do I get the same privileges as my male counterparts?” “Do they respect me as a person, not just as a woman?”
If you can answer ‘yes’ to everything, that’s awesome! It practically means that your coworkers are #woke and know how to treat gender and people equally. If one or all your answers are ‘no,’ then it’s time to say goodbye to them and carve a new path for yourself. Trust me. It will be better for a woman’s mental health in a male-dominated industry to go elsewhere — emotionally too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is it like to be a woman in a male-dominated industry?
What are the factors affecting women’s mental health?
How to work in a male-dominated workplace?
What does a male-dominated industry mean?
How do you deal with a male-dominated environment?
What are the most male-dominated workplaces?
What industries have the lowest women representation?
What are female-dominated industries?
Who is more dominant, male or female?
What is an example of female dominance?
What are the disadvantages of a woman’s leadership?
Which gender is the smartest?
Which gender is more emotional?
Who is more logical, male or female?
Which gender is more advanced?