Why are female-dominated industries often represented by males?

Question

This really erks me!

I work in the Interior Design/ Decorating industry and I get really annoyed that in an industry overwhelmingly female-dominated, it is the males that are in all the senior positions!

Me and many of my coleagues have noticed that while we work in all-female teams, the design managers are often males! Even on TV, celebrity decorators are male!

When I was at College, there were 2 males in our class of around 50 students and these guys both got good jobs straight away at the completion of our course, while many of the females struggled to even get interviews in a competitive industry!

I have also noticed the overwhelming majority of male celebrity chefs and lack of females in this industry too - Isn't it women who traditionally always did the cooking? But as soon as men move in to a female-dominated industry it seems the pay goes right up as does the status - Next thing you know they are celebrities!!

This gets my goat! Why is it so??

Answer 1

It's true. Once a man gets in, he will generally promote other men over women. Traditional 'women's work' such as childminding can only attract men by pay increases. Until men are interested in working in such fields it is seen as acceptable to pay women a minimum wage.

There is blatant discrimination against young women due to unequal maternity/paternity laws. Until personal childminding is seen as the responsibility of both men and women there will not be equality in the workplace. It is fundamental.

Answer 2

Equality.

A couple of decades ago women could barely do anything, now we are just as valued as men. But you can't have your cake and eat it too. If women can do "men" jobs, men are entitled to do "women" jobs.

On the flip side of your dilemma, if two women are in some sort of auto body schooling or whatever, they would probably get the job and pay twice as fast as the men.

You can't complain about one part when your missing the big picture.

Answer 3

Because many women do not interview as strongly as the males do. And they often do additional work outside of school while they are going to school while most women do no more thn the program asks. It is that extra work the men do that impresses employers.

This is why when my daughter was in her undergrad college, she also interned full time as a hospital administrator and worked on an ambulance crew. At grad school, in engineering, she will be doing extra major research projects to get money for school and to be a published author before she graduates. Even her undergrad thesis is considered of sufficient importance in the field of emergency medical care, it is being published.

So it all you did was the required coursework, if a guy also did that and did extra work on the side, it shows passion and employers like that.

And by the way, being a professional chef is traditionally a male job. Do not assume it is traditionally a female job just because women generally get stuck with the meal preparation at home.

And companies are often afraid that a women will leave in 2-3 years for the "mommy track".

Answer 4

did females start the fashon industrie or did males

Answer 5

It is still a mans world :-(

Answer 6

I totally agree. I could go on for hours about this. But that would be ranting. But in attempt to answer the question; I think it's because women feel, that its unfair that men are entering into our world of feminine jobs, and not only being more successful at times, but in some way taking away our role in this world. It's like we get put down, and sometimes mocked, for going into the male work industry, but when men come into our industry they are embraced. what do we have left?

Answer 7

Maybe they spell better than you??

Answer 8

I agree with you. Being male, what I found is that female have more attitude for male hence the male, being jealous, trying to overtake and nothing else.