A large number of modern occupation are linked to one of the genders. From the early age, girls are asked whether they want to become teachers or nurses, while the appropriate occupations for boys are mechanic, scientist, or solicitor. Of course, such subdivision seems to be very subjective as for a twenty-first-century person. Centuries ago, women were entitled to a very limited range of occupations, and the remnants of this philosophy have preserved in our cognition.
Gender specifics in the workplace can be explained from the different perspectives. Some male-dominated industries foresee that male employees have more advanced skills and higher intelligence than females do. Other industries take into account physical skills and the fact that women are generally fragile. Thus, construction, logging, mining, drilling and utilities are traditionally male-dominated occupations which have the smallest percentage of female staff.
Female-dominated jobs comprise mainly social workers. Nursing, teaching, and waitressing are not so well-paid professions as mining and drilling but they do not require extra physical skills either. Women tend to be better at interaction with other people so that they eagerly work with students, customers, and patients. Education and healthcare require certain scrupulosity which is probably more typical of women in general.
Gender segregation in the workplace seems to be outdated and damaging to women as a class. Gender-neutral occupations always provide better opportunities for moving up the career ladder, earning higher income, and personal development. Gender segregation comes along with the discrimination which is inevitably applied to the employees of the “wrong” gender.