3 reasons why we need more women in men's jobs

Woman empowerment has come a long way in Australia with more and more females participating in the workforce as the year goes by.

Thanks to the continuous discussions of diversity and equal representation in the workplace, more than 40% of Australia’s workforce consist of women.

While it’s a feat all on its own, the numbers still do not paint the whole picture of gender equality in the workplace. 

In fact, research by Economics Professor Jeff Borland, who teaches at the University of Melbourne, shows that women have been confined to the same jobs for decades.

From 2021 to 2022, the study showed that 43.6 percent of working women are in female-dominated jobs, 45.2% are in a more balanced occupation, while only 11.2% are in male-dominated jobs. 

The goal supposedly is to have more occupations balanced between male and female workers, but numbers show that gender segregation is still very much alive despite all strong efforts today.

Part of the reason why this is the case is the fact that many organizations do not necessarily realize the importance of having more women succeeding in male-dominated roles.

With that in mind, we list down 3 compelling reasons for organizations to make stronger and more active efforts to put more women in male-dominated jobs. 

1. New perspectives and opportunities

Men and women would always have different ways of viewing things. With that said, having a majority male workforce would only give you the same ideas, mindset, and approach to work. 

Having more women onboard, especially in leadership positions, would introduce new ways of looking at and doing work, which can improve a lot of processes and make business more efficient. 

With varying perspectives coming from a balanced workforce, lots of innovative ideas will certainly come next, which is always good for business.

2. Economic growth

This may sound a little bit stretched, but the truth is a balanced workforce leads to national productivity and economic growth. 

A research paper done by economists in 2019, showed that 20% to 40% of GDP growth in the United States from 1960 to 2010 came from breaking job segregation by gender and ethnicity.

Balance means having the best people, regardless of gender, doing the job that their good at. This can only be achieved by actively allowing women to do more men’s work.

3. Enhanced talent attraction

This can be a no-brainer, but sometimes we need to remind ourselves that workplaces that appeal equally to both men and women means an access to a wider talent pool.

Moreover, job-hunters these days are not just trying to find work, they want to join an organization that cultivates a positive and accommodating environment to all genders.

Being a model organization will certainly help a company attract more talent which is crucial in the face of today’s global talent shortage. 

There are a thousand more reasons why more women should be allowed to take roles in male-dominated occupations. 

But these three should be enough for the smart business leaders to think about in building their strategies and tactics towards success.