By the excellent Jessica Ryan from our Blogger Team.
I’ve grown up in an industry where I have been constantly told, “It’s a man’s world.”
“Can we get some big strong boys to take these buckets,”
“Can the boys draft up the cattle,”
When it comes to the females, we hear this;
“We need some girls to sit on the computer for the scanner.”
“Can the girls go grab the lunch.”
Nowadays, there is quite often the women doing more and more of the “boys’” work. While it may not be right all the time, some of the time, certain things are better suited to certain genders. For example, our biological build, boys are generally stronger, and girls generally have to work harder to gain that physical strength. Yes, it is possible, it is also harder. However, harder is no reason to quit, it just means you have to work a little longer, or a little smarter, or inevitably a little harder.
For me, personally, I work in an agribusiness where girls are employed to run the tablets and scanner computer, while boys are employed to move, draft and pen the sheep and cattle. Yes, I work at saleyards. This world is all about connections, the world saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” As a woman starting work away from my family farm, I have the benefit of knowing people already in the agricultural industry (connections!). However that doesn’t make it easier in a male dominated workforce. I have to build respect like any workplace, but to me and to many other females I know, building this sort of respect feels different. It feels as though you have to work and work AND work to eventually gain their approval of “She can do the computer job.”
For someone like me, however, the ‘computer job’ isn’t my aspiration, and fortunately, I have the self-confidence and the courage to do what I feel is right or needed. At work, I jump away from the computer or tablet and go back and push up stock, draft and assist in penning, I help the male drafting in the race by running the 4th and 5th way. However, even when I continue to show that I am more capable than using my thumbs, I am always facing the constant dilemma of “boys can do it better”. Although through all the sexism and constant battling of respect, the most important thing to always remember is to not change who you are, stay honest to yourself and everyone around you. This is the trick!
What we forget is that even when a guy begins work, if he acts like he knows it all and has nothing to learn, everyone thinks he’s a tool. This is the same for women; when you start a job, if you go in acting like you know everything you need, and refuse all the help offered, constantly being stubborn, everyone else is bound to think you’re … well … a tool.
Being strong-minded and determined is very different to being stubborn and unwilling to receive help. It’s okay to ask for help, to admit that you don’t know much about certain things. I can admit that my whole life, my family farm has been predominantly a sheep production, but I wouldn’t be able to work in a shearing shed and throw a fleece or class the wool, because we always contracted out the shearing, crutching and lamb marking. And you know what, that’s okay! We aren’t great at everything but that doesn’t mean you should shy away from an opportunity in that area, throw yourself at the job, and get the experience. The next time someone asks, you can say you have some, but limited experience, and you’re more likely to get given more experience. Then later on, you’ll get more jobs and also more connections!
Regardless of gender, experience is priceless! Never let a man sit you down and say, “It’s all alright princess I’ll do it for you,” because I tell you, oh my gosh, did that BOY get a shock when I barged through and did it anyway.
Featured image from Piqsels.