Women are in the labor force simply to earn some extra spending money

FACT

The majority of women work because of an economic need.

MYTH 2

Women and men are represented equally in most occupations.

FACT

Women workers are concentrated in traditionally female occupations.

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

Jobs in which men are traditionally employed typically pay 30% more than traditionally female jobs.

MYTH 4

Certain jobs are “men’s work”, and other jobs are “women’s work”.

FACT

Attitudes about which jobs are appropriate for men and which jobs are appropriate for women are the result of traditional and socialization.The vast majority of job requirements are unrelated to sex.

MYTH 5

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 at the present time.

MYTH 6

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 women. 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 7

Nontraditional jobs are too dirty, noisy and dangerous for women.

FACT

Nontraditional jobs are often dirty and sometimes dangerous. However, both men and women must weight the hazards and the benefits in deciding whether to take certain job. In addition, many traditionally female jobs, like mothering and nursing, are dirty and messy, and some have health hazards, such as computer terminal radiation and carpal tunnel syndrome. Many women do not mind getting dirty when they are paid a good wage, and with proper safety instruction, all workers can minimize the danger they experience on the job.

MYTH 8

A woman’s place is in the home, not on a construction site.

FACT

The majority of women work because of economic necessity, and the higher wages offered by nontraditional jobs better enable women to support themselves and their families.

MYTH 9

Women won’t like trade work.

FACT

Many women enjoy working with their hands and working outdoors. They take great pride in knowing they have helped to build or create something. As a result, researchers have found that most tradeswomen have a high degree of job satisfaction.

MYTH 10

Women will leave a job to get married and have children; therefore, the job should go to a man who will stay.

FACT

A survey conducted in March 1992 found that the average woman worked 30 years over the course of her lifetime, regardless of whether or not she was married. More than half of the women who do leave work to have children return to the labor force when the child is one year old or younger. By the time their youngest child is three years old, at least 6 out of every 10 mothers have entered or returned to the labor force.

MYTH 11

Married women who have husbands to support them should stay home and leave the jobs with good pay for men.

FACT

Because many American families are unable to support themselves on a single income, both husband and wife must work.

MYTH 12

Women on a job site make it difficult for men to concentrate; the women are too distracting.

FACT

It is different, at first, to have a woman on a work site if an employer has never hired a female worker before.  Employers can ensure the productivity of all the workers by telling employees that a qualified woman has been hired and that harassment will not be tolerated.  While sexual harassment can happen in any work environment, it can be particularly harsh for women working in nontraditional occupations. The problem that must be stopped is the harassing behavior, not women’s entrance into the workplace.

MYTH 13

Women will lose their femininity if they work in a trade.

FACT

Women can encounter offensive language anywhere, not just on the job site. While women need to be physically prepared for nontraditional jobs, there is nothing unfeminine about being physically fit. Finally, many women find that earning the good wages that nontraditional jobs pay enables them to buy the things that make them feel feminine, like nice clothes and cosmetics.

MYTH 14

Women do not have the mechanical or mathematical aptitude for skilled trade work.

FACT

There is no scientific evidence to support a difference in the innate ability of women and men to perform skilled trade work or to justify occupational segregation on the basis of sex.

Resource:  www.workplacesolutions.org