The fall of manufacturing jobs and the rise of care work provide us with a chance to fix the imbalance of power between genders. For one, it can shatter stereotypes by attracting men to traditionally feminine jobs. But at the same time, we must also facilitate women to enter sectors dominated by men. One such sector is STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), where jobs are expected to boom following the rise of automation.[11]If these high-paying jobs are seized only by men, gender disparity might widen. The government must support campaigns that break gender stereotypes from a young age and convince girls that they are as capable as boys in STEM. Exposure to role models is one solution proven effective in increasing young women’s sense of compatibility with the STEM field.[12]
The gender implications of automation are more than just blue or pink. In some sectors of work, we might see a more balanced composition of gender. But in others, notably STEM, the rise of automation threatens to further cement gender inequality in favor of men. So if gender equality remains on the agenda, policymakers cannot only view automation as a gender-neutral phenomenon.
By I GedeSthitaprajna Virananda | Staf Kajian Kanopi 2017
References
[1]http://larrysummers.com/2016/09/26/men-without-work/
[4]http://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf
[5]https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/04/scarce-skills-not-scarce-jobs/390789/
[6]https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/01/automation-paradox/424437/
[7]https://realmanswork.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/male-nurses-worldwide/
