Anthony MonardoDr. Alireza AsgharzadehAP/SOCI 1010 H 6.00 Introduction to Sociology2014 April 3 Gender roles in the workforce Although the employment gap between men and women is narrowing, women and visible minorities face many obstacles when are looking for a job. The white male currently dominates many aspects of the workforce, creating difficulty for women in obtaining jobs typical of men. It can be shown that being a woman can significantly reduce one's chances of obtaining a personal job of one's choice when looking at women's challenges, education, trades and sciences. There is a common myth that it is too difficult to enter physical labor sectors if you are female. Further progress has been made in leveling the career playing field through technological advances and changes in the availability of educational programs. Careers that were once thought to be traditionally reserved for men are becoming more and more feminine. For example, in the construction sector or in the police, women have difficulty accessing and maintaining a career. According to Statistics Canada, 67% of all employed women work in one of the fields of teaching, nursing or related health professions. However, jobs in SET sectors such as engineers, craftsmen and construction workers revealed there were too few women in these roles. As more women pursue university degrees in SET sectors, why is it still difficult for women to stay in these fields when they have applicable knowledge? Knowledge is power in these professions when you are a woman. It is difficult for a woman to overcome real obstacles and make people believe that she has knowledge (Alison Andrew, 2009). Women's ability to access SET...... middle of document...... women are expected to take positions in traditional non-female jobs due to diversity and demographic changes. Today, organizations view the diversity of their workforce as a competitive advantage that will allow them to outperform their competitors. How is this a competitive advantage? Companies that value diversity will not only gain creativity, but also public reputation. Overall, women working in traditional non-female sectors face socially constructed boundaries between “male” and “female” work. As a result, women are still often seen and may view themselves as less employable in sectors that have been constructed as a male sphere. Despite this drawback, employability is often seen as a matter of individual attributes. Factors such as personal disposition and motivation, previous education and experience impact women's employability (Alison Andrew, 2009).