Why are 90% of 'support' roles filled by women?

Question

why are admin (and other) support roles almost always filled by women?

Is it a choice? Or is it because subconciously society sees women in support roles? Usually these roles don't lead anywhere... does this mean women are generally unambitious?

Answer 1

Most women like office environment because its air conditioned and a control environment.

Most men like more active type of jobs. Where they need to move.

Since there are more 'support' roles in an office environment. And there are more women actively seeking office environment positions than men. Women end up filling more of the support roles than men.

Answer 2

It used to be that women didn't have the "right" to claim jobs that were essentially considered to be men's professions.  Instead of being allowed to become doctors, women were steered towards nursing.  Nowadways, there may be nearly as many doctors who are men, and the number of nurses who are men is increasing every year.

Traditionally men used to be teachers in the lower grades -- ie elementary school, but fairer access to colleges has enabled women to take on teaching positions.  

It's also very typical that in higher end restaurants a waiter/server is a man where the lower end restaurant tables will be waited by a woman.

Women need and should have the same income making opportunities as men, but many women will still not be able to break through to better positions.  

When I worked in finance my higher up once told me how lucky I was to make what my predecessor earned; and he had a family to support.  I was flattered but it was supposed to be an insult.  As in "how dare you earn as much or more than a man!"

Answer 3

That's because they get put into those roles whether they like it or not. Many of them would like to advance in their careers but don't get told about the opportunities to do so. I recall that Wal-Mart is being sued right now because even though most of the workers are women, very few of them are in management positions. Many of the women who work there say they never knew of openings in management jobs.

While I'm at it, I get sick of hearing about how women are supposed to be so "nurturing". I'm not particularly nurturing myself. If you don't do your job, I will not cover for you or try to protect you. I'm not a mother hen type.

Answer 4

Without being chauvinistic sounding, my life experience has been that the majority of woman are unambitious when it comes to commerce that being said there are exceptions, just as men are generally unambitious about being a houseman, yes nature has made the sexes different for a reason, if the woman left the cave just as the man did to find food who would look after the cave children, we need them to support us as they need us to kill something and drag it home, that being said without each other we are weaker without the other.

Answer 5

Women are more concerned with being nurturing since they can't be as productive as men. And men aren't that great at supporting anyone other than himself, so guys would suck at that job, too.