Myths and Facts About Women and Nontraditional Occupations There many myths about whether women can or should work in jobs that are considered nontraditional for them. Dispel some of these common myths about women working in male-dominated NTOs with the facts! Myth 1. Women are in the labor force to earn some extra spending money. Myth 2. Women and men are represented equally in most occupations. Myth 3. Jobs in which women are traditionally employed pay salaries comparable to jobs in which men are traditionally employed. Myth 4. Certain jobs are "men's work" and other jobs are "women's work." Myth 5. Blue-collar work or heavy, physical labor is nontraditional for women. Myth 6. Women are not strong enough to do heavy labor. Myth 7. Nontraditional jobs are too dirty, noisy and dangerous for women. Myth 8. A woman's place is in the home, not on a construction site. Myth 9. Women won't like trade work. Myth 10. Women will leave a job to get married and have children; therefore, the job should go to a man who will stay. Myth 11. Married women who have husbands to support them should stay home and leave the good paying jobs for men. Myth 12. Women on a job site make it difficult for men to concentrate; they are too distracting. Myth 13. Women will lose their femininity if they work in a trade. Myth 14. Women do not have the mechanical or mathematical aptitude for skilled trade work.     | Home | Contact | Search/Sitemap | User Guides | Events | Internet Guide | Email Lists | Copyright © 1998, Wider Opportunities for Women, All Rights Reserved.