Fewer Women in Manufacturing Linked to Gendered Perception of the Term
A Democratic lawmaker suggested that fewer women in manufacturing may be linked to the term containing "man." She reported that only 13% of students in a program were women.
During a hearing on Wednesday, a Democratic lawmaker in the House suggested that the underrepresentation of women in manufacturing might be due to the term itself, which contains the word "man."
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., expressed her concerns during a Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade subcommittee hearing entitled "AI in Manufacturing: Securing American Leadership in Manufacturing and the Next Generation of Technologies." She noted that while visiting a manufacturing company, she learned about efforts to engage young people in the field.
Schakowsky stated, "So, I asked them, how many of those students that are signing up and want to do this? How many are women?" The response was that it was at least 13%, a number she described as low.
She further questioned the possibility that the term "manufacturing" might deter women, saying, "I'm just wondering if just the name manufacturing sounds like a guy."
In response to her comments, Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., who also sits on the subcommittee, highlighted his opposition by stating, "Us: Let's lead the way and bring jobs back to America. Democrats: 'Manufacturing' is a sexist term against women!"
A 2022 report from the U.S. Department of Commerce revealed that while women constitute 47% of the American workforce, only 30% are employed in manufacturing.
