By ConstructionLady - 13/11/2012 06:49 - United States

Today, I was conducting a meeting regarding safety concerns on my field site. While I made a comment, a client rep yelled out that women don't know construction, and that I should be acting like a proper secretary and should get my boss. I'm the Construction Manager. FML
I agree, your life sucks 29 715
You deserved it 2 395

Same thing different taste

Top comments

HeyArnold91 8

It always seems that women will be forever defending themselves in male dominated industries

Whenever I read an FML that includes this degree of stupidity and ignorance, I always think, "Please don't be in the US! Please don't be in the US,! Please don't be in th- **** it's in the US"

Comments

HeyArnold91 8

It always seems that women will be forever defending themselves in male dominated industries

It's unfortunate that "male dominated industries" is even a phrase we have to use.

HeyArnold91 8

12 - True, but I don't think it will ever be different, even in fields where female employment is growing...I know in my line of work (military) myself and my other female co workers are treated differently sometimes because we are women in a place surrounded by men.

It's pretty sad that regardless of education, less than 16% of the people in my field are women.

22, 16% of all women, or 16% of the people in your field? Because that's makes a huge difference.

#27, did you miss the bit where it said word for word exactly the answer to your question?

No, I hadn't, actually. Sorry, my mistake.

I feel like it's the same on both sides. For instance, a man would have to defend himself if he was a nurse. It's silly that we still have these social ideals of who should be in what profession.

captainObviously 15
BreeannHatesYou 4

Difference is, the people a male nurse would have to defend himself from would mostly be other men, not usually women; which is even more sad.

suboy 10

70. I have been laughed at by a few girls for studying nursing. But i dont let it get to me because 1, i dont care and 2, about 30% of the males on campus are nursing majors too. Some people are just small minded.

southernbelle_rn 16

78-I know what you mean. There was only a handful of males in my nursing class. And seeing you're in the same area as me, I'm sure you can relate. But male nurses get to experience what women have been dealing with for years.

Actually it's been proven that while getting mocked for having something considered a "feminine" job they still get promoted faster.

@12 what's wrong with the phrase 'male dominated industry's'? There is also 'female dominated industry's', for example in health care and education (mostly for younger kids). I don't think there is much sexism to this, because it's also biological. Men and women are different, our brains are different, which makes it that a lot of men like visual thinking better, or are better in it. And women are often better in psychology-related area's, or are more interested in it. That's why health care (especially mental health care) is often a female dominated industry and construction is often male dominated.

There shouldn't be gender dominated anything. We shouldn't consider anything "male" or "female" jobs. Everyone is different, it's not all based on gender.

I agree with you, but, in this example, OP was treated unfairly because she is a woman and thus, it is not appropriate to justify "male dominance."

100, there is no such job. Physical gender denotes very little. Whether you "like visual thinking better" is based on your brain, not your gender. And I beg to differ about the health industry being "female dominated". I don't know if you've ever been to a hospital, but I usually see a 50/50 split (roughly) between make and female. In our society, you'd think we'd be over the archaic ideals of women being delicate flowers that can't do hard labor and that men can't dabble in arts and craft and 'pretty things'.

drarmstrong 8

And make more money doing the same Job!

@115 Of course that depends on your brain. But your brain is the way it is also because of what gender you are. Men and women are different, at least biologically seen. Of course you can be really good at 'manly' things as a woman and you can be good in 'feminine' things as a man. Everyone is different, of course, but I am talking more about the general population. And I didn't really mean health care as in hospitals.. I should've said mental health care. That is definitely a female dominated industry. I know it is in my country. I study to become a care-taker and in my class from around 25 people, we have 2 men. At my internship only works 1 man. My boyfriend is a studying to become a train-engineer. He only has 1 girl in his class. And where they both do their internship, she has been put in the 'newspaper of the company' (I don't know how I should properly name it), because they want more women to come work there. Why? Crap knows why. What does it really matter? It's really not that the men who work there are such pigs that women want to stay away, it's accessible. So I really have no clue why you would try to force change into it.

johnny_derp 3

um, men have to defend themselves as nurses because it's considered a "woman's job" and is therefor degrading. don't try to make this into a what about teh menz discussion, please.

We are having a debate about sexism in the work force, specifically being more sympathetic towards women. Some people are bound to say, "well what about men in "female dominated" industries?" Just because you do not agree with the question does not mean that the question is irrelevant.

Dancer here. Female dominated industry that caters to males.

jillybee101 7

100- Excuse you but have you ever been to a hospital? About 85% of the upper field medical attendees (i.e. doctors, surgeons, etc.) are male. So I beg to differ. Pull your sexist head out of your ass because if you think that men are treated anywhere near as bad professionally and sexually, then I just have to assume that you're thick.

@132 please read my other comment first, smart ass. And you do realize I'm a female, right? Don't just go and call me sexist, I just tried pointing out how men and women are different, biologically. How is that sexist?

XcuzimsotiredX 25

I don't learn differently than my best male friend. we act the same. we do the same things. we both plan to study the same thing. your gender says nothing.

Fsvb, You do realize you can be a female and still be sexist, right? Anyways, I know what you're talking about when you say that some studies indicate biological differences between men and women in the GENERAL population, but we are talking about individuals here, and not making assumptions about them based on the average brain. Everyone develops differently. Besides that, Correlation does not equal Causation, so we can't prove that the average woman and man have different brains because of their gender. It probably sounds ridiculous to you, but there are plenty of other factors.

46, male nurses are rediculously respected and congradulated for being in that line of work. And im speaking from experience. Im a nurse

You're so right about the correlation/causation thing. Anybody that has ever even touched a statistics textbook will agree.

Comment moderated for rule-breaking.

Show it anyway

Oh yeah Doc. That is why we study for years and years to achieve our qualifications in our chosen fields. Just so many men can get erections.

Zandalee - Construction. Erections. Think about it.

...right! Got it. Sorry Doc. Must be past my bedtime. As you were.. ;)

I appreciate your effort, Doc, but once you have to explain it, it loses it's shine.

Gee, thanks for explaining how puns work. I'm new here, so I didn't understand that explaining a joke ruins it. But thanks to you, now I get it.

Kn0wledge123 21

The wind changes direction and they get erections.

RedPillSucks 31

Explaining it doesn't ruin it if you didn't get the pun in the first place. Sometimes shedding a little light on a pun can be a good thing, and sometimes it shows that you're too clever by half.

Kn0wledge123 21

I have no idea why I was thumbed down for laughing at Docs joke...

That's awful - I hope you showed them right up!!

Whenever I read an FML that includes this degree of stupidity and ignorance, I always think, "Please don't be in the US! Please don't be in the US,! Please don't be in th- **** it's in the US"

Don't worry, it happens to all of us (there is a fair few dodge Aussie ppl). Your country is just unlucky that it has few hundred million and accordingly turns up more.

Oh god here comes the " herp derp America is fat and stupid. " comments

Its funny you're concerned about this, you're called "MURIKKA" hahaha

Out of 3 billion people, it's only natural we have a lot of ignorant and stupid people. Sad, but true. Don't worry, they're everywhere though.

Sammy: Um, 3 billion? You mean 300 million?

@47 Also, in addition to a large population, the US produces a lot of Western media (including news), a has a fair amount of leisure time, and has very high internet access. Although the idiot percentage for the US is probably similar to the rest of the Western world, US idiots are more visible. Especially as USican idiots also have a tendency to be somewhat jingoistic...

If it wasn't for us 'mericans, assassin's creed 3 would be rather dull.

RedPillSucks 31

Sexisms and all the other "isms" are world wide, unfortunately. Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if we could say "avoid such and such country because that's where XYZism lives". Maybe we can invent some sort of vaccination to rid humanity of this stuff like we're trying to do with polio and other diseases.

Sadly that's the road that hitler took. I understand not being able to stand stupid people, I can't either, but if I stand my personal creed of living my life the way I see fit, then people who are ignorant bastards do to in their own stupid little special way.

#56 Whoops! Sorry about that. I once googled the population of the United States and could have sworn it read 3 billion o.O I feel dumb now; but thank you for correcting me. Yes, I meant 300 million. I was wayyyy off.

Not gonna lie I do the same about Texas. And for some reason i can read it get the feeling it's from here then die a little inside when it's right... It's always the stupidest shit too

Sounds like the loudmouth should be sent to some workplace sensitivity and harassment classes. That'll shut him up.

OP, it's a sad state that this still happens, but you must be strong to be where you are. Stand up, stand strong, make that self serving douche realize he is where he is answering to you, and he can make it a good team. Best of luck!

RedPillSucks 31

why does a picture of birds make the comment ironic?

RedPillSucks 31

I read the caption and got it. I was going in the direction the picture does, that boobies doesn't have to be about breasts. Sometimes a boobie is just a bird.

You should have called him up and demonstrated safety violations on him.

You mean like "accidentally" pouring a scalding cup of coffee on his meat and two veg?

It's ok OP, he's just intimidated by you!