By continuing to browse this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Read our privacy policy

Female Dominated Occupational Groups - higher chances for men to join!

Author photo

by Impactpool

We have been traditionally engineered to have jobs divided by our gender, but lately women are constantly encouraged to participate in male-dominated occupations. We hear terms and phrases such as "breaking the glass ceiling", "Women In Tech" and so on but hardly when it comes to the opposite gender. Compared with the increasing participation of women in male-dominated occupations, the presence of men in female-dominated occupations remains low as little is known about the occupational trajectories of men disregarding this conventional wisdom to enter female-dominated occupations.

Women have made significant progress in joining male-dominated professions such as law, finance, technology and infrastructure. The UN gender parity strategy aims for gender-neutral jobs. As women are highly encouraged to join male-dominated occupational groups, men are also encouraged to pay no mind to the implications of their career choice for gender identity by initiating equal salaries and sometimes a slight advantage for men. 

 

Some may argue that unemployment is the main motivation for male workers in non-traditional occupations but "in contrast to the experience of women who enter male-dominated professions, men generally encounter structural advantages in these occupations which tend to enhance their careers" - The Glass Escalator: Hidden Advantages for Men in the "Female" Professions - Christine L. Williams. Based on this research by Christine Williams, there may be future benefits of entering female-dominated jobs, like stepping onto a “glass escalator” which states that men in nontraditional occupational groups are often fast-tracked to management positions, illustrated to riding an escalator up to the top.  This ofcause does not help the concept of the glass ceiling as it continues to create barriers for women to rise to leadership roles. However, sociologist Margarita Torre states that this only happens if men stay in these nontraditional occupational groups which she highly doubts. 

 

Given the above research, it feels good to know that the UN Gender Parity strategy is intended to foster a gender-neutral and inclusive workplace. The goal will be to improve geographic diversity, particularly for under-represented groups, and to ensure that the parallel goals of gender equality and diversity are seen as complementary rather than competing. This is an opportunity for you as a male candidate, to land a job in an occupational group that you are welcomed and wanted. 

 

Men's underrepresentation in the following predominantly female professions:

   

  

  

Read more about UN Gender Parity Strategy: United Nations has reached Gender Parity in the Top Leadership and Why UNV is the key to gender parity at the UN