The Number Of Women In The Workforce Has Skyrocketed. But Equality Hasn't.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of women in the workforce has skyrocketed! Up 24.8% from 1948 to 2024. While the number for men has actually gone down since 1948. So if more women are working than ever before, why are we still dealing with discrimination on the job?
“Women belong in the home.” Heard that one before? Yeah, us too! Some women dream of staying home and that’s completely fine but sometimes it just isn’t possible. For some when it comes to working, especially in the blue collar fields, it can feel empowering. Connie Kopelov, from Cornell University, states, “The myth is discarded by employers when it suits them to hire women”. Basically, during wartimes, society loved when women worked. But when the war ended? They were expected to go back home like nothing ever happened. Society really can’t make up its mind on what it wants from us, can it?
Women have always worked. Even when history tried to pretend otherwise. According to Kopelov’s research, women in Colonial America were already hustling - running inns, teaching, nursing, weaving, healing, even printing. But they weren’t allowed to own property or get an education beyond household skills. They also had almost no rights.
During the Revolutionary era, though, women stepped up even more. They ran farms, made clothes for soldiers, produced gunpowder, and some even fought disguised as men. Let’s be honest: the history books could never contain all the badass women who made this country run.
“Women can’t work like men”. Excuse me, what? Some men still claim that women aren’t as capable. That’s nonsense. Women are often more detail oriented. Which is a huge advantage in fields like construction, landscaping, or fabrication. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, men had over 4,000 fatal work injuries in 2009. And women? We had just 319. So maybe it’s not about who’s stronger but who’s smarter and more careful.
Some men like to say that women just can’t handle certain jobs. But here’s the truth. Women are often not even given the chance to prove themselves. Research from a survey shows, “both women and men perceived that there were some physically demanding jobs that supervisors did not assign to women”. So it’s not always about what women can’t do. It’s about not giving us the opportunity to learn, grow, and lead.
As a professional gardener, I’ve seen workplace discrimination firsthand. I work for a company called The Girls Landscaping. Yes, that’s our real name. And yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Almost weekly, some random guy questions or mocks our work ethic. One time, while we were working near a university, a man asked if we were doing community service because we were ‘in trouble with the dean’. Nope. We just … have jobs. And we’re good at them.
Harassment is still a daily reality. Workplace harassment isn’t just ‘rude behavior’. It’s damaging, mentally and professionally. According to researchers Anwar and Burfat, harassment in male-dominated fields “creates panic situations for workers, it effects workers presentism and increases mental disease”. They also found that many women quit their jobs because of this constant hostility. It’s not a lack of skill or motivation. It’s a lack of respect and safety.
But some people argue that gender inequality isn’t a problem anymore in the workplace. Laws and regulations have been added to protect women against these issues. Companies have adopted policies for inclusion of women workers. Occasionally, women just aren't physically or mentally able to do the job due to health issues or personal beliefs. Some women just prefer other jobs like office work, healthcare, and teaching over blue collar jobs. While it’s alright if some women prefer those jobs, discrimination is still alive.
Women may choose white collar jobs over blue collar jobs based on fear, social pressure, bias, and limited opportunities. When women are told that certain jobs are ‘too hard’ or ‘not for them’ over and over, they start to believe it. It’s not that women don’t want blue collar careers, it’s that society won’t give them the chance
So what can we do about it? A lot of people don’t even know that their company has anti-harassment and inclusion policies. When there is no awareness, no enforcement, and no accountability, that’s exactly when problems happen.
A lot of these issues wouldn’t exist if some men at work would just change their attitudes. Seriously, respect shouldn’t be that hard. If male employees and supervisors actually believed women were capable (spoiler: we are) and stopped assuming we couldn’t handle the work, things would change fast. It’s not about giving women special treatment. It’s about treating us like equals. That’s something that should’ve been the norm decades ago.
It’s not all bad news. Some companies are finally getting the message. According to DAVRON, the trades are on track to lose about 2 million workers by 2030. Due to this worker shortage, employers are realizing they need to rethink who they hire. And it’s opening doors for women. More employers are realizing that diversity isn’t optional anymore and that it’s what keeps the business alive. Therefore, it’s not just good for equality, it’s good for business.
Gender inequality in blue collar fields sticks around not because women aren’t capable, but because workplace culture and male attitudes haven’t caught up to modern reality yet. Discrimination and outdated attitudes have held women back for generations. Now companies are finally realizing they need to include women if they want to survive.
It’s 2025. Women have proven - for centuries - that we can work, lead, and build just as well - if not better - than men. So maybe it’s time the world caught up.
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