Have you ever wondered why we have some job titles like, “midwife”, “mailman”, “Chairman”, “Policeman”, “Cameraman”, “Salesman”, etc.? This may lead one to wonder whether there are some jobs meant for men and others meant for women. Most gendered jobs root in societal gender roles and stereotypes. Like, who decided that driving taxis was men’s work, “taxi-men”, while secretariat was women’s work? The idea of men being the breadwinners has led to the view that if a job is high-skill and high-paying, it should be a man’s work. Sometimes also when a profession is assigned to men, it may be perceived as more credible. But in this era, it would just be a shame for one to hold such thoughts or to get discouraged from pursuing a certain career or dream due to unfounded gender roles. Pacifique Mutwarasibo, a recent graduate in obstetrics and gynaecology at The University of Rwanda, shared: “I was laughed at by some of my friends for studying gynaecology. At some point, I also thought I should get specialised in another field other than this but here I am.” He added, “There is nothing wrong with a man studying or undertaking a career that deals with things specific to women’s health, and vice versa.” Mutwarasibo repeatedly emphasised that gender should not be associated with professions. In an attempt to remove the gender bias in certain jobs, even language tends to improve by leaving room for more gender-neutral job titles. For example, there can be a meteorologist or weather person instead of a weatherman or weatherwoman, a head teacher instead of a headmaster or headmistress, a bartender instead of a barman or barmaid, and so on. Also, the incredible fight put by women or anyone else who was involved in joining the workforce, fighting for equal pay, etc, should be acknowledged. Even if there is still some progress needed in certain fields, good progress has been made so far. A 2017 study, American Sociological Review, found that nearly one-quarter of jobs formerly male-dominated, such as CEOs, lawyers, surgeons, web developers, chemists, and producers, were filled by women between 2009 and 2017. Overall, 23% of all jobs traditionally held by men were then held by female workers. Similarly, men filled 30% of jobs formerly held by women. The research showed that 27% of all female-dominated occupations such as education administrators, pharmacists, interior designers, cooks, accountants, and human resources managers, were then held by male workers. Rwanda also, in 2018, ranked in the top five countries for gender equality according to the Global Gender Gap Report. The country has not moved backward ever since. Alix Leslie Akaliza is ten years old and she dreams of becoming a pilot. “I find planes very fascinating and I have always had plane toys ever since I can remember.” She continued, “My best friends, Ethan and Kundwa want to be pilots too. So it’s like our dream together.” It is true that as we raise future generations, it will be simpler to fight gender stereotypes tied to professions. In this era, with less and fewer gendered jobs and beliefs, the power vested in the youth’s dreams and capabilities fostered by more inclusive societal structures should be given room to grow and expand. That way, the future could be brighter.
