Every job has its challenges and difficult days.

But if you’re a person of a marginalized gender in your workplace, those difficult days may happeneveryday.

We often hear about how male-dominated work cultures negatively impact women.

What Is a Trade Job?

First, it’s important to understand exactly what types of jobs we’re talking about here.

Trade jobs are careers that are relatively high-paying but do not require a college degree.

Some trades involve a certificate only, and others include licensing as well.

There are many different jobs that fall into the trade industry.

That’s because historically, men have dominated the trade fields.

In some trade industries, women don’t even comprise a single percentage of the workforce.

These sectors include coal mining, pottery manufacturing, and agricultural chemical manufacturing.

And there are many additional categories of trades in which the percentage of women is reflected in single digits.

Women remain in far smaller percentages of the areas of trades we associate with men.

That’s a mindset that many are no longer willing to accept or to work alongside daily.

That’s because male-dominated trade fields can involve frequent, and unacceptable, discrimination.

Pastry chefKalina Pencestarted out as a line cook and was rarely treated well by male coworkers or superiors.

“Most men my generation or older would not take any direction from me whatsoever.”

The more we speak up, the better our chances of creating change.

If you have been discriminated against in your workplace, you have the power to take action.

Knowing your rights is the first step.

You arefederally protectedfrom workplace discrimination, and resources are available.

Institute for Women’s Policy Research.Women gain jobs in construction trades but remain underrepresented in the field.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics.Employed persons by detailed industry, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.

US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.Eeoc releases fiscal year 2020 enforcement and litigation data.

Institute for Women’s Policy Research.Women make gains in men-dominated jobs, but still lag behind in COVID-19 recovery.