# Jobs reserved for women **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 7, 2010, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825 "2010-07-07T07:18:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/41 "2010-07-13T15:43:22Z")
baby making machine? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/42 "2010-07-13T16:22:50Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Whoa. It does? I took PE in high school (male) and I’m quite sure my (male) teacher never supervised us _in the locker room_. That just seems like a recipe for scandal. Yeah, my co-ed gym classed for both middle and high school had male teachers, and _no one_ supervised in either locker room. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/43 "2010-07-13T16:31:22Z")
**Peter Pan** , is not that part always a female? ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/44 "2010-07-13T17:29:37Z")
Governor General of Canada. I’ve heard Canadian women complaining that, just because it is a completely ceremonial position with no power or authority, they have taken to giving it to women for the last 30 years or so. “Why not prime minister?”, they ask. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/45 "2010-07-13T17:39:55Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > **Peter Pan** , is not that part always a female? Traditionally, but not always. In the Disney version, Peter Pan was played by Bobby Driscoll. In the 2003 film version, he was played by Jeremy Sumpter. ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/46 "2010-07-13T18:00:25Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Governor General of Canada. > > I’ve heard Canadian women complaining that, just because it is a completely ceremonial position with no power or authority, they have taken to giving it to women for the last 30 years or so. “Why not prime minister?”, they ask. Except the new [new governor general of Canada](http://pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?category=1&pageId=26&id=3536)is a man, David Johnston. And we have had a female Prime Minister, Kim Campbell. Of course, she lost in her first election so badly it might be a while before we have another one … ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/47 "2010-07-13T18:22:05Z")
President of MADD (not the magazine…) ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/48 "2010-07-13T18:30:58Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Women’s shelters usually have whole floors were male staff (if there’s any to begin with) aren’t allowed. Also most rape trauma counselors are women; the few male counselors usually only deal with male rape victims (ironic since most of their clients would have been raped by men). I understand why the rape trauma counselor for a female patient would be a woman. But why not allow men on those floors? ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/49 "2010-07-13T18:34:12Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > I understand why the rape trauma counselor for a female patient would be a woman. But why not allow men on those floors? Probably after a horrible experience involving a man they just wanna make the women comfortable. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/50 "2010-07-13T18:43:07Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > HR rep. I had a teacher in college who said his first Major was for human resources. A teacher of his said “good luck getting a job!” When he asked why, he said all human resources jobs are given to women to help fill out their diversity requirements. > > In my experience, I’ve never met anyone who works in HR that’s male. Ahem. I have both a beard and a penis. We have plenty of men in HR at my company, although probably less than 50% of the whole department. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/51 "2010-07-13T18:45:48Z")
Avon representative? ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/52 "2010-07-13T18:53:37Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > The position of [Treasurer of the United States](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasurer_of_the_United_States%22l) (not to be confused with the Secretary of the Treasury) traditionally goes to a woman. Or at least it has for the past 60 years. > > I’m wondering if there’s any similar position elsewhere that is traditionally given to a woman. Note that I don’t mean a position like the King’s Consort[sup]1[/sup] or Queen’s chambermaid or something like that. > > [sup]1[/sup] Although it’s only a matter of time before a King’s Consort somewhere in the world is not female. If that hasn’t already happened. Golly! That’s fascinating! Do you want me to give you a list of positions that have only been occupied by men for the last _ **600** _ years and we can talk about positions reserved for men? ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/53 "2010-07-13T20:22:34Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Avon representative? Best selling representative in our district for the last six campaigns is a married man in his mid-40s. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/54 "2010-07-14T01:04:44Z")
Anyone ever had a male school nurse? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/55 "2010-07-14T01:16:26Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Anyone ever had a male school nurse? Just once, but he’s put that trauma behind him. So to speak. ---
**Author:** ![Caveat\_lector\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@Caveat\_lector\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caveat_lector_1)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/56 "2010-07-14T02:49:06Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Anyone ever had a male school nurse? I did and he was the single most intimidating person I have ever met. He wasn’t mean and was always friendly but there was always this air of intimidation around him. He was muscular, but not super above average, and he was only about 5’7 but he just had this vibe… It wasn’t just me that felt it either I don’t think any of the students were comfortable around him. I’ve had people threatening to stab me and they weren’t half as intimidating as this man asking how my day was going. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/57 "2010-07-15T09:49:16Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Golly! That’s fascinating! Do you want me to give you a list of positions that have only been occupied by men for the last _ **600** _ years and we can talk about positions reserved for men? I don’t think the sarcasm is called for here. I’m not trying to make any kind of point in the gender wars, and if you want to, you’re in the wrong forum. (Great Debates is two doors down on the right; The BBQ Pit is at the far end of the hall behing the fireproof door.) I’m just genuinely curious about the question. As for the suggested answers so far, unless I missed something, all seem to be positions that require women due to biology (e.g. surrogate mother, wet nurse) or psychology (e.g. rape counsellor). I’m looking for positions that don’t require those. Now I’m sure there are some out there. For instance, there are some all-women or formerly all-women colleges that have never had a male president. Not all of them, of course, so you’d have to restrict the position description accordingly. It’s possible that some of those schools have never had any males on their administrative staff or even in their faculty. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/58 "2010-07-15T14:27:33Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Governor General of Canada. > > I’ve heard Canadian women complaining that, just because it is a completely ceremonial position with no power or authority, they have taken to giving it to women for the last 30 years or so. “Why not prime minister?”, they ask. Nonsense. There have certainly been male GGs in the last 30 years. Ray Hnatyshin (however that’s spelled), an NDP guy from Manitoba whose name escapes me. Not to mention a female PM about 15 years who served for six months and then held an election in which her party (the Progressive Conservatives) was reduced to 2 seats and eventually disappeared. The next GG will be a man. An asshole, but a male asshole (I knew him moderately well when he was Principal of McGill). ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/59 "2010-07-15T14:46:02Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Anyone ever had a male school nurse? My dad, but Jesuit All-Boys High Schools/Seminars tend to be short on females. If my own HS had a nurse it was one of the Brothers, too (Jesuits again, but co-ed). In Spain there’s some political positions which have been going to women frequently in the last 35 years. Culture, Education and Youth (sometimes a single position, sometimes two or three) are among these; even during Franco’s regime, the female branch of the party’s Youth organization was much more focused on culture, preserving folk arts and history than the boy’s section. As more women get political positions (so there is less of a feeling of “they made a woman Minister of Culture because they needed at least one person in the Government who could wear skirts”) and the job and training market diversifies (leading to women in such “manly” jobs as Minister of Defense or Councilor for Industrial Development), the “candy jobs” are seen less as “candy jobs” and more as a matter of choosing the right person for the job. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825/60 "2010-07-15T16:34:18Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > …As for the suggested answers so far, unless I missed something, all seem to be positions that require women due to biology (e.g. surrogate mother, wet nurse) or psychology (e.g. rape counsellor). I’m looking for positions that don’t require those… Using my gym teacher\* example there were jobs that require women (or men) for cultural or social reasons based privacy taboos. \*Yes, I know realize that not all PE teachers had to supervise lockerrooms, but my point that if a lockerroom is being supervised the supervisor must be of the same-sex as the supervised still stands. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-reserved-for-women/545825.md?page=4)