Dominating a Male Dominated Industry: The Female Quest for Success

Written by Riya Anand (C’26); Edited by Anjeli De Blank (W’26)

As of 2020, in the United States, only 6.5% of women working full-time worked in male-dominated industries. This statistic is mirrored in Canada and Europe. 

When looking at male-dominated industries, female employment is scarce, and their upward mobility into positions of leadership is, generously speaking, rare. 

Male-dominated industries range from energy to manufacturing to infrastructure. For years now, the environment created within these areas demoralizes female workers, pushing out those who dare to enter in just a couple of years. There is evidence to support the fact that male dominated industries tend to place women in an inferior position throughout their careers. This could be through a lack of equal career development support and mentorship opportunities, tougher standards to “prove” credentials and overcome stereotypes, and, above all, sexual harassment.   

“Women sexually harassed at work are 6.5 times as likely to change jobs, often to one with lower pay.” 

As women experience these challenges, they leave the industry in short periods of time, never able to make their way up to managerial positions. Due to this, women who enter in future years are placed under male management with predominantly male co-workers. When they experience the determinants that others have in the past, they also leave the industry. The cycle continues, and the industry experiences no change. 

This raises the question: how can women find success in male-dominated industries, if at all? 

To answer this question, it is of great benefit to dissect the experiences of women who have found success in various male-dominated fields. 

Crystal Quintero is a Campus Director at Southern Industrial Career Centers (SICC). Crystal and her female colleagues have found various ways to overcome some of the female-oriented challenges faced in the workplace. They recommend women regularly recognize and remind themselves of the impact that they are making, trust their knowledge and qualifications, find a female team or group within the industry (whether that be inside or outside of the workplace), identify role models, and use them for motivation and inspiration, and advocate for themselves. 

With this, women can find a greater level of comfort and confidence within their workplaces. This can motivate them to stay within their industry of interest for longer periods, and will promote increased levels of female leadership in these areas. As women rise into positions of power, they will allow other women to enter the industry with more ease, providing an automatic system of support and breaking the century-long cycle of male dominance within the workplace.