What do you guys think about a woman doing a "man's job" plumbing, electrics, construction etc?

Question

To me they are just jobs. Not just a man's job or just a woman's job but I'm just curious as to what you guys think about a woman doing that kinda thing? I am 20 looking to pursue a career in a trade. My partner of 4 years is an electrician and I mentioned plumbing to him as an option for me (as I'm still struggling with what I wanna do) but his answer and reaction was a bit iffy. I won't let anyone stop me from what I wanna do however, I just wanna know your thoughts. Would it turn you off/on if you seen or knew a woman doing that? Would it make you uncomfortable? etc

R1tuRaj · Accepted Answer

Well well well, you're a "woke" lady and you need to understand a few things that might help you in deciding that.
There is no job that's limited to genders, except giving birth to a child. I mean a man can do that too by engineering his body in a certain way but let's leave that aside for now.
See, our bodies are different based on genders. Physical, mental, physiological, psychological, behavioral, sensory and all sorts of differences. Similar within the gender, different from the counterparts. Like women have a better sense of colors, smell, taste. My wife can differentiate between fifty shades of grey and all I know is there's white, there's black and then there's grey. She can definitely do a better job at sorting things by color, no doubt.
Similarly, there are differences in how a gender thinks, works, behaves, feel and so on.
The jobs that you mentioned are more physical than mental. Earlier, there were less tools that could help you in doing a certain physical job now have them. You don't need big muscles now a days to do most of the jobs that earlier could only be done by some big dudes. You can do those jobs too. But then there are certain risks associated with every job. Being a window cleaner or painter or an electrician, you may need to climb electric poles or skyscrapers almost every day. I wouldn't send my wife to do that sort of a job. Not that I want to keep her unaware of all the pleasures she could get from that job. Not because she would become a billionaire cleaning windows and then I'd have to be her servant. But because I don't want her to take that risk. I will get my hand broken lifting something but I can't let her do the same when I'm there. I don't think she's weak. I don't think she's helpless. But I want her happy and healthy and that's it.
These days when you stop a woke lady from doing something risky, she believes others don't want her to succeed in something or maybe they think she's weak. But that's not how it is really (not always but most of the time).
Now there are certain meticulous tasks that women definitely do better. China does most of the micro-electronic manufacturing and assembling. This industry has way more women than men. Two reasons: Lower pay rate, meticulous tasks. Women are naturally good at that.
The way we behave, talk and feel also divides many jobs between genders. It's not discrimination, it's not misogyny. Just that one gender is naturally good at something, other not so much.
If you just want do a certain job, that's not enough. But if you have the right tools, right skills and know your way around it, you can do it.

jshm2 · Accepted Answer

Well.. I work in IT - one of the worst trades for gender diversity.

It's not that girls cannot do the job - if you can think, and use your hands ; you can do IT - more it's about working in those teams and tight schedules with that much testosterone flying around that a weak hearted guy/girl isn't going to last long in the job.

I breakup many a fight and flame war between clients and that's in a fortune 500. Some others I network with are worse.

Anyway. In the traditional trades, you're not under as much pressure, but work for a woman is going to be tougher than a man. Mainly as clients will assume your quality and workmanship as being "inferior". Of course it isn't but you're going to have a harder time building up that client base. But I suppose you will go down the route like others I know, where you will seek out clients based n their race or gender only.

This is the case with some businesses that work mainly with women, or Jews, the disabled etc etc.

Puppystarfish23 · Accepted Answer

I used to work in a male dominated industry and I'm not gonna sugar coat things for you and I'm gonna be 100% honest with you.

You need to be strong physically and mentally as your gonna get shit from stupid people who will try and put you down because they feel intimidated or will think you've done it to prove some kind of feminist point.

some people might have sexist biases towards you and assume your not as good as a man or will try and patronise you by being overly helpful to the point you start to believe they think your stupid and aren't capable. They might also being doing this because they want you to know they actually support you so it can be confusing and other times they are being overly helpful because they think they'll get something romantic out of it..

You will face sexism there is no doubt in my mind about it and you will get sexually harassed. But as long as you stick to the banter, work hard and don't try hard to be "one of the boys" you'll find some decent men who will respect you and it can be great fun. Working with men is a lot more easy going most the time and less drama

enbyofenvy · Accepted Answer

Depends on where your from. Different countries have different societal norms for this. Even here in Canada things like long haul trucking, construction, plumbing etc are male dominated careers. I used to do construction for aplha drywall and villa roofing. Expect to have 100% of any coworkers be sexist pigs, discussing your body with one another behind your back, expect your boss to send a male coworker to double check your work everytime. And expect to be labled a liability to the company and fired if you ever bring these things up and ask why your treated as less than your peers. Oh and expect the ocxasional client who called in for services, to then call the company back when you show up and request a different worker. you'll also get clients who are extremely creepy, hit on you, and comment on what they think about you in that field

hahahmm · Answer

I'll assume partner is a boyfriend...

1. I heard plumbers and electricians absolutely hate each other & make fun of each other at construction sites so why would he want you to be the enemy?
2. He sees himself as your protector. Maybe he's thinking about what happens if a sewer line explodes and you inhale a gallon of bioweapons grade diseases. He won't endorse you going into any dangerous job.
2b. Females get harassed on job sites all the time. Imagine if your boyfriend said he wanted to get a job working at a strip club full of easy sluts who will try to get into his pants every minute of the day. Even if you totally trust him it could rub you the wrong way. He could also be thinking it could lead to drama. Imagine if you get harassed and bad and ask him for help. Now he has to get involved and when men get into those situations.. life changing things can happen. And even if he does nothing THAT too can cause a major change to your relationship.
2c. An extreme example of a bad job for a woman would be working as a prison guard in a male prison. Some women think it's a great idea. No sane boyfriend is going to approve of that tho.
3. Maybe he likes his home to be turd free. Why would he want you to come home smelling like turds. Why would he want you to hug him and then have to wonder if the brown slime you got on him is just mud or something else. I guess you could built a biohazard decontamination room in your home tho.

darkcloud1945 · Answer

I worked as a telephone installer , repairman splicer in thirty plus years I trained many women in the field after their basic training. I found that is was about equal the failure rate between men and women But most women had to work harder to pass because of the lack of body strengh but that usually passed in a few weeks of hard work if they wanted to pass. Some men had that problem too. Some of both were screwups and were fired. I found that most people could do the job with practice and hard work if they wanted a good paying job Ofcourse you woundup with the old school assholes who hated a woman on the job and tried to make life hell but most worked around it. I will say I have doubts about women as firefighters and cops because of upperbody strength and the lowering of the amount of weight they have to lift and drag to pass the tests. i cannot see a 130 lb girl trying to handcuff a 300lb guy or women or draag same out of fire I say go for it just remember your a female there by judged differently than a man... LOTS OF LUCK

MTC29 · Answer

People have ideas that plumbing is changing a faucet and electrical work is replacing a light switch. The actual trades require lifting heavy pipe and conduits, getting soaking wet or pulling miles of wire and cables, along with getting down into crawl spaces and hot attics, and getting filthy while busting your ass.

As an electrician, your boyfriend knows this, which is why his answer and reaction was "iffy."
If you're a strong gal who can do the job then you'll be accepted by your co workers. If you can't... well, make sure that you can!

NamerOfStars · Answer

I know of no job that's performed primarily with one's genitals. Now, there ARE certain types of jobs that are typically going to appeal more to men than to women, and some that are the other way around. Such jobs could, I suppose, being reasonably seen as PRIMARILY the work of women or of men, but not completely. But there will always be those who want to do something seen as the purview of the opposite gender. And that's fine- I'm all for meritocracy. Let everyone have an equal chance to get in. Equal means EQUAL, though- like I said, meritocracy.

And there's ALWAYS going to be a need for skilled tradesmen and -women, so you know there'll be job security. You'd also be better in a post-apocalyptic situation, for whatever that's worth. The world of zombies will have a much bigger need for plumbers than for accountants.

erandal · Answer

I see now reason why women should not be as capable with manual careers. There is still a stigma with young girls thinking that a manual career would suit them but as generations progress there is a much bigger 'yes you can do it' attitude and parents see their daughters as being as capable as their sons so give them the encouragement. My mum was a very practical person, probably thanks to a father who was a carpenter and only had daughters, I picked up on that and spent my teenage years playing with computers and fixing motorbikes. I may not have a manual job now but it was me who installed our new kitchen, not my husband.

jim009 · Answer

I think it would be super hot, strip that sweaty body out your coverals, don't hit the shower yet, be tough, banter with the best of them, be able to help out around the house wirh fixing stuff, and you both split house chores like dishes and cooking. Do what makes you happy and not like "fuck him" if he can't handle it, you can talk it out, but don't let it stop you. Plumbing is a great career. Also, sooo many inside jokes for you two now... he can help you clean out your pipes etc hehe

FinalFantasyBro · Answer

It's literally 2021 I thought we had gotten passed the point of forcing a specific job towards men and women. I understand that men can do things better than women or women can do things better than men but what is a guy job or a girl job? It's a job there are some women who into plumbing like their are some men who have an interest in clothing. So if you want to do something like that I just say you should be able to it is 201 strict gender roles besides the biological ones is starting to become outdated.

MrOracle · Answer

The main issue you will face is that plumbing in particular is very physically demanding. There will be a lot of ditch digging, often in rock-hard clay, and there's no way around doing it - there's no tolerance for people who can't get the job done themselves (this applies to men as well - many guys simply can't do the job).

If you do repair work for a few years, you might be able to move to new construction, which is physically easier, but still not easy. You'd be drilling a lot of holes, often working on a ladder above your head, using a 15-pound drill with lots of torque.

I'm not telling you that you can't do it - maybe you can - but you should know what the job really is.

in my opinion, being an electrician might be a better choice. It's not quite as physical, and there are some women who do this and do it well.

Phoenix98 · Answer

Look my opinion of it is there are some jobs women just aren’t suitable for or that most of them can’t do like mine.

but aside from the few jobs like that as long as she can do the work and do it efficiently and effectively and can keep up with everyone else and deal with the elements, labor, etc then I don’t care.

at the end of the day I care about results and if you can’t do the work or deal with the stuff that comes with that job then you shouldn’t be doing it man or women.

but I also won’t deny that biological differences do make a difference in some jobs specifically manual labor in harsh conditions. And men’s bodies are more suited for that kind of work.

but if a woman came in who could it and keep up with us and was effective and efficient then I got no problem. It’s just that in my line of work it’s not gonna happen most likely.

litty · Answer

It's kind of like how even though women's soccer teams have won more for their countries, the men's soccer teams get paid a lot more even if they lose. Women need more exposure to show their capabilities.

In other words, more female representation in the work place is always refreshing.

ohshee · Answer

I'm sure glad you said that it's not just a man's job it's anybody's job it is willing to take it on when you need something fixed you need it fixed tell if a girl wants to get in there and fix it more power to it I know tons of girls you don't mind getting dirty and they can fix their car they can fix plumbing it don't matter what is broken they will try to fix it first because they don't have the money to hire somebody people watch YouTube are they will call me and say hey I need some help please I will tell them how to do it I will also go there but if she started she's going to finish it because that is empowering finished a job and it works empowerment and I love all my friends especially if their girls to feel empowered

Browneye57 · Answer

"Partner"? You're calling your man your partner? WTF over.

If you can actually DO then work, then sure. Just don't think you're gonna get a pussy pass just because.

My middle daughter is a commercial electrician. Very capable, very successful.
But mostly, women just don't really even want to do a lot of these jobs men do. They're difficult, stressful, dirty, thankless.

If your man is an electrician, why don't you pursue that? You join the union, they pay you while you train, and they pay for your college degree. Win win all around.

captain_voidwalker · Answer

There's nothing stopping a woman from doing electrical work for the most part. Sure some coils of wire van get pretty heavy but you can used pallet jacks or other equipment most times to move them around.
Plumbing gets a bit trickier. Some sections of pipe get realy heavy and have to be held in place kinds awkwardly. So a woman will likely need a make assistant to hold them in place while she welds or solders them in place.
And I'm not saying women are weak by any stretch but we are talking about weights that are just a matter of physics st some point

Charliefretz329 · Answer

I like girls who CAN do those jobs. But as a man who works both blue collar and white collar jobs; I know most traditional “men’s” jobs are physically suited for “men”. If you can actually DO the work, I fucking love it and support you. If you choose to rely only on the other male workers to do all the difficult tasks for you, you don’t belong. I also know many “blue collar” women who adamantly agree with this. Don’t be a burden by getting into trades work. Some Guys will allow it though, especially bosses, and spend all day flirting with you instead of being focused on the job. And that makes things hard on the people that depend on that work for their livelihood.

lilyanony1 · Answer

I wanted to be a carpenter that was my dream. My dad wanted me to do something else.
I tried fashion 👎🏾 I couldn't handle the cattiness.
I tried healthcare 👎🏾 it's even more cut throat.
I am not back to art and I'm struggling to even make a friend. 😏
It's hard out here.

I really think I should apply to do carpentry.

Kaneki05 · Answer

In WW2 Russia hired women to be snipers and they ended up having the most successful snipers of all time. You can do any job, anyone who say's otherwise don't understand the simple fact of how not to be sexist.
Also ironically russia is known for been sexist weird i know. They also had the first woman in space but again known for been sexist. The logic.

Just do what you want.

RJ880 · Answer

I mean in general it's pretty ridiculous to assume that only men can be plumbers. It's really ironic that guys in those areas of work can be super homophobic yet prefer to work day in and out with large groups of men. ( I'm not saying your partner is like this). But... yeah... like if it's something you enjoy do it..

ArrowheadSW · Answer

If you feel it is for you, look into it!

I hang out with a lady who hung cabinetry for awhile, and now she is a long haul truck driver. She has low expenses so she saves around $2,000 a month. I only see her about once a month though because she is gone for a month at a time... LOL

Anon621 · Answer

If your passionate about something you should always try regardless of your gender. My advice: don't listen to people that tell you a specific job is geared towards a specific gender. We live in a world with people that identify as tons of different genders all with different aspirations so if you want to do something your gender should not be a barrier and if it is there's steps you can take to get past those barriers.

t-8900 · Answer

I think it would greatly benefit society to have more women doing such jobs to appreciate the hard work in trades. The women who bash men for doing these jobs might get an earful from the females doing these jobs too! who appreciate how hard it is to do and how important it is we have people of all backgrounds willing to do these jobs!

What do you guys think about a woman doing a "man's job" plumbing, electrics, construction etc?

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