“Male” professions are gaining relevance among women: which areas are most popular
Kyiv • UNN
Under martial law, women are more likely to choose atypical professions. According to the State Employment Service, the number of women studying to become machine operators, machinists, and electricians has increased.
Under the conditions of martial law in Ukraine, the labor market has undergone important changes that have affected the professional choices of citizens, especially among women. The State Employment Service told UNN which professions, traditionally considered male, are most often chosen by women.
From January 1 to July 29, 2024, 136 thousand women applied to the State Employment Service for employment assistance (131 thousand women in the same period in 2023). With the assistance of the Employment Service, 97 thousand women got a new job
The State Employment Service says that women are most often employed in the following professions:
- vendor
- auxiliary worker;
- cleaner; cook;
- accountant;
- seamstress;
- nurse;
- specialist;
- stacker-packer;
- Cashier.
There are also many examples of women mastering "male" professions, such as:
- woodworking machine operators - 146 women;
- pump operators - 92 women;
- crane operator - 49 women;
- Mechanical assembly mechanic - 46 women;
- electrician - 34 women;
- operator of program-controlled machines - 27 women;
- underground installations operator - 23 women.
It should be noted that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the structure of registered unemployed by gender has changed significantly. While before the introduction of martial law, women accounted for 55% of the unemployed, today the share of women has increased to 78%, and in some regions to 80%
They argue that since the introduction of martial law in Ukraine in 2022, the activities of enterprises have changed, which has affected professional choices in education. Starting in the second half of 2023, an increase in the number of women who decide to study in professions that are traditionally atypical for them, i.e., "male" professions, can be seen.
Thus, since the beginning of 2024, 22 thousand unemployed women have received vocational training. In particular, women were trained in the following conventionally "male" professions: cable production assembler (36 women), woodworking machine operator (18 women), refractory product molder (18 women), automatic line caster (16 women), pumping unit operator (15 women), unloader of refractory materials from furnaces (10 women)
The Employment Service provided vouchers for training to 9,000 women, including those in traditionally male occupations:
- tractor driver - 137 women;
- woodworking machine operator - 21 women;
- Tiler - 21 women;
- wheeled vehicle repairman - 8 women;
- installer of plasterboard structures - 6 women;
- electric and gas welder - 4 women;
- forklift driver - 4 women;
- installer of building insulation systems - 3 women;
- electrician - 2 women;
Optional
A voucher is a document that allows certain categories of citizens to upgrade their qualifications or acquire a new profession free of charge according to the list of 124 professions and specialties approved by the Ministry of Economy.
On the basis of the voucher, retraining in a working profession; training in a specialty for a master's degree on the basis of a bachelor's or master's degree obtained in another specialty; training at the next level of education (except for the third (educational-scientific / educational-creative) and scientific level of higher education); specialization and advanced training in professions and specialties
Recall
The Kyiv Metro has received 450 job applications, most of which are women. Currently, one woman is undergoing training as a train driver and plans to start working at the end of this year, as the training is difficult and lasts about 10 months.
