When you think of some jobs, do you attach genders to them? More than that, why are many people unable to accept the fact that both genders can be allowed to have any occupation that they so desire?
Written by Nicole Tee
Stereotypes
Stereotypes stem from facts. However, these facts are warped to fit an individual’s own viewpoints and perceptions, resulting in negative stereotypes.
For instance, in the United Kingdom, the jobs with the highest proportion of females in 2021 were nurses and assistants. For males, they were vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians.
Due to this, some presume that the predominant gender of aoccupation performs the job better and begin to discriminate on the opposite gender’s capabilities, citing “statistics’’ as an excuse.
Dfferences in Opportunities
Oftentimes, especially in developing nations, traditional values are still being upheld, such as the male being the breadwinner of the household and the female being the housewife.
Globally, over 129 million girls have been denied an education. Females being robbed of proper education limits their ability to pursue their desired careers and break the shackles of living a restrictive lifestyle.
As such, their only option is to seek a low-paying job, resulting in a higher percentage of women occupying one type of job. This in turn may deceive us into attaching females to that specific career type.
Societal Expectations
Societal expectations can also limit our freedom to choose our own career path. Society expects males to be masculine and females, feminine. This makes us associate certain genders with jobs that may seem more masculine and feminine in nature.
Thus, when a male expresses his interest in pursuing a feminine service job, society may shun this individual. With our attachment of gender to jobs, we may never be completely free from pursuing our true life aspirations.
Overall, everyone should be allowed to pursue any passion they desire. If you realise that you unintentionally attach genders to jobs, this is your first step; being self-aware. Now, your next step is to start accepting different viewpoints and become a more open-minded individual.