It's no secret that even in 2020, many careers are still dominated by a certain sex. Over recent years, there's been an incredible drive to close the gender pay gap and diversify the workforce across all fields.
Today, we’ll take a closer look at the top 5 male-dominated professions and explore why this has come to be.
Historically speaking, the army in a variety of capacities wasn't an option for women. Only four years ago were they allowed to join all sectors of the military.
There has been a significant push to recruit more women since these changes. However, the primary reason why many women are deterred remains the same - a lack of flexibility. Long stints away from home make choosing to have a family difficult in the long run.
Unfortunately, there’s a global lack of female surgeons when, in fact, they're highly sought after. There are a variety of subtle influences behind this gap, for instance, including long and unpredictable hours that don't fit with a family lifestyle.
One-size-fits-all surgical instruments can also be an issue for female medical students. Additionally, the physical strength some operations need presents a challenge. When combined, these hurdles make passing surgical rotations with excellent performance a challenge. As with all these careers, there's also a lack of female role models to inspire the next generation.
Throughout history, gambling games such as poker was a 'man's game'. They were often played in places a woman should not spend their time. Wealthy businessmen and cowboys alike would enjoy risking their money over a few drinks.
Nowadays, professional gambling is open to everyone, and women like Victoria Coren-Mitchell can inspire the next generation of professional players. Anyone can become a pro by gaining experience online. Are you interested? Take a look at our comprehensive list of sites here.
A survey taken just three years ago revealed that women in the UK occupy only 11% of the construction workforce. Despite movement for equality, there's still a problem with how the industry is perceived.
One of the main factors that deter women from this career is sexist advertising, as in a lack of female representation. Aiming courses and jobs at men hinder recruitment and make the industry seem intimidating to women.
Long haul driving can be a highly rewarding career path mentally and financially. However, the American Trucking Association estimated a 60,000 driver shortage in 2018. Despite the push for female recruitment because of this, there's still a cavernous gap.
The reason why this role is unappealing to females mainly surrounds the dangers associated with working as a lone woman. Others include hygiene difficulties and spending long periods away from home.