Everyone has big dreams as a child. However, oftentimes, people still tell girls that they shouldn’t choose a certain career because it’s a “man’s job”. Even in the 21st century, it seems that women still aren’t choosing careers that are traditionally in male-dominant fields, like the energy industry. Fortunately, this trend is steadily changing. We are finding more women who are ready to tip the scales and bring healthy balance and equality into the workforce.
Traditionally, STEM fields remain male-dominated. When we think of any given job in STEM, we think of a man performing that work. What many people fail to realize is that women play an important role in the energy industry, too. They are serving as field workers, chemical engineers, board members, and executives.
Any Job Can be a Woman’s Job
Since the overall labor force is about 47% female, it would seem there are plenty of women in every industry. Strangely, only a meager 22% of workers in the oil and gas industry are women. Many women could feel unwelcome in a male-dominated environment, having been raised to believe that certain jobs just aren’t for them.
Katie Mehnert, CEO of the woman-focused Pink Petro, faced just that kind of discrimination. She was told that oil is a dark, dangerous business and that she was also too pretty to be in the field. That’s when she decided to create Pink Petro. This organization gives women a greater incentive to break into the energy industry.
Thanks to progressive companies like Pink Petro, more and more women are successfully entering the energy industry. Women are seeking to support one another in STEM fields. They are giving encouraging speeches and mentoring their juniors in the field. They’re advocating for the presence of their gender in a field that’s always been male-dominated. Overall, they strive to assure that women belong in oil and gas work just as much as men do.
With more companies seeking to bolster the number of women in their ranks, we can be certain that those percentages will improve in time.
A Female-Led Future on the Horizon
Moving forward, we can expect many more women moving into the energy industry. Women working in STEM is becoming more normalized. Countless organizations are reaching out to women of all ages, inspiring them and urging them to follow the paths less traveled. For example, Jamie Glas, the creator of Hot Stuff Safetywear, actively works to show that women can work in the oil and gas industry without sacrificing fashion and femininity.
The current numbers may be low, but the growth of female representation in these fields is significant. Furthermore, it behooves us not to overlook these trends. While only 15% of senior management in the energy industry are women, that number has grown by 3% in the last five years. Progress is progress, no matter its pace, and efforts to actively reach out and recruit more women will certainly pay off.
Not so long ago, little boys aspired to be anything when they grew up. However, little girls believed they had to confine to only dreaming of certain careers. We’re steadily transitioning away from the detrimental thought that jobs should be gendered. And with it emerges a future with women in all fields, including those of the energy industry.
Pipe Protection Technologies
Continuing in this trend, MSI Pipe Protection Technologies, an NOV/Tuboscope company, takes the time to acknowledge National Women’s Equality Day this month. We also want to thank all of the hard-working women who graciously serve with us. They successfully serve as part of our expert staff, skilled workforce, management team, and as corporate engineers. Thank you!
