OVERVIEW | MYTHS AND FACTS | GETTING STARTED IN THE TRADES | FAQs
MYTHS ABOUT WOMEN IN THE TRADES
Myth 1.
Women are in the labor force simply to earn some extra spending money.
FACT: The majority of women work because of economic need. In fact, 62% of working women earn half or more of their family's income. Forty-five percent of women in the labor force are the sole supporters of their households: single (25%), divorced, widowed, or separated (20%). The urgent need for women to have access to high-wage jobs is demonstrated by the fact that nearly 38% of all female-headed households with related children under 18 years old are living in poverty.
Myth 2.
Women and men are represented equally in most occupations.
FACT: Women workers are concentrated in traditionally female occupations. In 2002, women represented 76.3% of all administrative support (including clerical) workers and 51.9% of all service workers (i.e. child care workers, hairdresses, food preparation workers). That same year, men were 9 times as likely as women to be employed in precision production, craft, and repair occupations. Over the last 5 years in Illinois, fewer than 3% of apprentices have been women.
Myth 3.
The pay for jobs in which women are traditionally employed is about the same as the pay for jobs in which men are traditionally employed.
FACT: In 2002, the median weekly earnings for traditional female occupations such as child care workers and food preparation workers ranged between $251 and $309. The mediam weekly wage for male-dominated occupations such as precision production, craft and repair occupations was $645.
Myth 4.
Blue-collar work or heavy, physical labor is nontraditional for women.
FACT: Many jobs now thought to be nontraditional for women have been performed by women in the past. Throughout history, women have done heavy labor on the farm and in the fields alongside men. During World War II, over 6 million women entered the labor force to build ships and airplanes and make factory goods. These jobs are currently considered nontraditional only because women are underrepresented in them.
Myth 5.
Women are not strong enough to do heavy labor.
FACT: The strength requirements for nontraditional jobs are often exaggerated. Many nontraditional jobs are less physically demanding than housework, and many traditional women's jobs, such as nursing and waitressing, are just as physically demanding as some nontraditional jobs. Moreover, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that special equipment be provided for every heavy job regardless of whether it is being performed by a man or a woman. In addition, mechanization continues to decrease the level of physical strength demanded by many jobs. Finally, while the average man is stronger than the average woman, some women are stronger than some men. In addition, women can develop both upper-body and lower-body strength with training.
Myth 6.
A woman's place is in the home, not on a construction site.
FACT: Women account for 46% of the total labor force. In 2005, 65.8 million women were employed in the U.S. That figure is expected to increase by 15.1% to 75.5 million in 2010. Local workforce projections for the Chicago area predict that the construction industry will add 5,400 new positions annually and 38,000 over the next 10 years. These figures suggest that the industry will experience a labor shortage if it does not successfully integrate women and minorities, who comprise the majority of new entrants to the job market, into their workforce.
Myth 7.
Women won't like trade work.
FACT: Many women enjoy working with their hands and working outdoors. They take great pride in knowing that they have helped to build or create something. As a result, researchers have found that most tradeswomen have a high degree of job satisfaction.
Source: The Orientation to Nontraditional Occupations for Women (ONOW) Curriculum of the Ohio Department of Education; the Women in Highway Construction manual of the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Labor; Women Employed, U.S. DOL Women's Bureau; YWCA USA; The Pathways to Apprenticeship (March 2006) .
