Women from several backgrounds hold a phone displaying the hashtag #WomenInMaleFields. Social media movements such as #WomenInMaleFieldsmay seem like a small drop in the bucket of progress, but Viewpoints Staffer Kimora Holliday believes they can be a place to start. “Social media trends like #WomenInMaleFields can’t solve these deeply entrenched societal issues, but they can spark change.” Illustration by Sylvia Robinson
The hashtag #WomenInMaleFields is a necessary step towards equality for women in the workforce.
The trending hashtag #WomenInMaleFields was made popular on both TikTok and Instagram in Nov. 2024. It’s a step in the right direction towards equality for women in the workforce.
This hashtag was made popular as influencers posted videos using that hashtag to either put a spotlight on gender discrimination in the workplace, the amount of women working in male-dominated fields or to highlight toxic behaviors that some men tend to display.
As defined by the woman-focused consulting company the Red Shoe Movement, “Male-dominated fields are those where most roles are held by men rather than women.” These barriers are shown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which reported that only 6.5% of women worked in male-dominated fields like finance, construction or engineering as 0f 2022.
The limited career opportunities for American women highlights a flaw in how employers – and the government – treat women breaking through barriers in their careers.
The disparity shows the barriers to entry for women, as well as continued discrimination – a survey of 1,000 working women conducted by The Muse, a job website, in April 2024 revealed that 41% said they felt like they were discriminated against based on their gender during interviews alone – a sentiment echoed by Dr. Kimberly Grantham, a Principal Lecturer at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.
“(Being a woman in business) was a hump. I had to overcome that hump so that I could lean into those who I knew who were in similar positions but at different schools, to say, ‘We aren’t in this alone. We can get through this hump together,’” Grantham, also a parent of multiple CCHS students, said.
The limited career opportunities for American women highlights a flaw in how employers – and the government – treat women breaking through barriers in their careers. Social media trends like #WomenInMaleFields can’t solve these deeply entrenched societal issues, but they can spark change.
