Occupational segregation, or segregation by gender, is a complex phenomenon that involves several factors. Segregation is only the top of the iceberg: there are multiple factors under the surface. Occupational interests are affected e.g. by subject interests, support and barriers, culture, attitudes, expectations and perceptions of each field as well as belief in one’s abilities (1). The cultural influence of gender, on the other hand, can have an impact on which paths people are encouraged and guided to take, and this may factor into the segregation of different fields of employment later. Are all genders encouraged to partake in different activities equally, or are individuals automatically and perhaps subconsciously offered different kinds of guidance depending on for example their gender?
While gender-linked attitudes can be subconscious, studies offer extensive evidence of unequal treatment of different genders. Gender has been observed to influence how a child is treated at different ages: for instance, researchers have observed that girls and boys were complimented differently and given different responsibilities in a nursery environment. Girls were complimented for being helpful and a greater degree of independence was expected of them, while boys received compliments for their personality traits (2). Additionally, a study involving upper secondary school students found that guidance counselling received by students is affected by their gender. Girls and boys with the same interests were encouraged to seek different professional roles. For example, girls were encouraged to pursue teaching jobs while boys were encouraged to seek leadership roles (3).
Unequal treatment may have far-reaching consequences, for instance with regard to career choices. Girls have been found to face more negative prejudice towards their mathematical skills at school and at home (4, 5, 6) even though no differences have been found in their mathematical skills compared to boys (7, 8, 9, 10). This, in turn, may affect the development of mathematical self-efficacy and mathematical interest, which have been found to be linked to later interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) (11, 12, 13). In the 2017 Gender Equality Barometer, men reported having received less support for gender-atypical choices after basic education than women (14). Additionally, there is evidence that men choosing to pursue nursing are appreciated less for their choice than women are for choosing STEM careers (15). Following this, encouragement can have a significant impact when a young person contemplates future career paths (1, 3, 22, 24).
In addition to encouragement, belonging has been found to correlate with women’s interest in pursuing STEM careers. The same applies to men’s interest in seeking a career in the Social and Health sectors, as well as in Education (16). Students in a field deemed atypical for their gender have been found to discontinue their studies more often than students representing the majority gender in their field (14). Not feeling welcome in gender-atypical education or employment may drive individuals to gender-typical fields (17).
At the moment, not much is known of gender minorities’ career choices (18), but gender minorities have been found to be underrepresented in STEM fields. A 2023 study found that non-binary students in technical fields experienced less belonging compared to other students (19). In general, gender minorities experience discrimination in the labour market (20). A complex phenomenon like segregation needs to be met with collaboration. Attitudes, work cultures and societal structures must change. One way to do this is to provide our youth with role models and inform them of the diverse possibilities of different fields, and by doing so, encourage and drive interest for different options. However, different fields should not be presented as better or worse to people of different genders. Reducing the influence of gender is crucial for enabling each individual to make choices according to their interests and strengths.
