The story of “boys should study engineering, girls should study preschool education” has become an invisible “stereotype”, creating barriers and worries for both students and parents, eliminating the diversity needed for the labor market.
The box of prejudice
The college and university admissions season is here, and in addition to learning about training programs and job opportunities, many students and parents are faced with a question of social significance: “Is this major suitable for my gender?”. This concern is not unfounded. It stems from the notion that, over many generations, there are jobs that are “default” reserved for men and vice versa.
For male students who aspire to pursue fields of study considered “feminine” such as early childhoodeducation , social work or psychology, the first and biggest barrier often comes from their own family and friends.
Ms. Mai Lan, a parent living in Tay Ninh province, shared that her son loves children, has a talent for art, storytelling and is patient, so he wants to become a preschool teacher. However, when relatives found out, they all dismissed it and said that this job is hard, has low salary and is not suitable for men. "I always support my son, but like many other parents, I am afraid that my son will be criticized and have difficulty finding a job," Ms. Mai Lan confided.
On the contrary, female students who are passionate about science , technology, engineering and mathematics are not immune to similar prejudices. Fields such as mechanics, electronics, information technology and construction have long been considered “a man’s world”. Female students who are interested in these fields often have to hear dissuasion such as: “It is very hard for girls to study engineering”, “this profession is dry, full of machines, not suitable for girls” or “how can we compete with boys”.
This pressure causes many talented female students with good logical thinking to give up and choose careers that are considered "safer" and "easier" such as economics, languages or administration.
The concern of students and parents is not only about choosing the wrong major, but also about the uncertain future of having to do a job without passion, leading to low performance, easy discouragement and no opportunity for advancement. The pressure from gender stereotypes is invisibly creating a generation of workers who follow existing paths, instead of breaking out and creating new values.
According to vocational education experts, in fact, the serious gender imbalance in occupations not only limits individual development opportunities but also creates long-term consequences for society. It wastes high-quality human resources, when capable and passionate people are not able to do suitable jobs just because of their gender.
Breaking barriers, expanding opportunities
Faced with the alarming reality of gender bias in career orientation, experts in the fields of education, psychology and gender have spoken out strongly, affirming that career choice should be based on each individual's abilities, interests and passions, instead of outdated gender stereotypes.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Oanh - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Women's Academy, emphasized the importance of eliminating gender barriers in education. What to study or what career to do depends on each person's interests and abilities, and is completely independent of gender. Imposing stereotypes limits people's freedom, stifling creativity and contribution of each gender to the development of the community.
According to Ms. Oanh, this prejudice is not only harmful to individuals but also to the economy. “To overcome this, I propose that there should be synchronous measures from disseminating laws and policies on gender equality, reviewing and improving textbooks in a gender-sensitive direction, to having specific priority policies to attract both men and women to occupations that are inherently gender-unbalanced,” Ms. Oanh said.
Sharing the same view, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Hoa - Manager of Ngoi Sao Sang Kindergarten (Linh Xuan, Ho Chi Minh City) shared that in reality, there are controversies in society when universities reward money to male students studying preschool, showing that gender prejudice is still very large. Many parents are apprehensive, thinking that male teachers cannot take care of children as skillfully and patiently as female teachers, especially with girls.
However, Ms. Hoa asserts that this is a misconception. Men absolutely have their own strengths as preschool teachers. Teachers can provide children, especially boys, with a role model to learn from. The dynamism and strength of teachers in physical activities and creative games will help children develop more comprehensively.
“The lack of male role models in early childhood education is a disadvantage for children. I strongly support boys overcoming prejudice to pursue their passion, because career opportunities for preschool teachers are very open and they are sought after by prestigious educational institutions,” Ms. Hoa emphasized.
Regarding engineering, Dr. Phan Thanh Minh - Head of the Department of Aviation Exploitation, Vietnam Aviation Academy, said that the notion that "women are not suitable for machines" is outdated. In the era of Industry 4.0, engineering is no longer a game of strength, but has become a stage of logical thinking, meticulousness, and creativity - strengths that female students can fully develop.
“At Vietnam Aviation Academy, we always encourage female students to study engineering in an open learning environment, because diversity brings different perspectives, contributing to improving the quality of training and research. Most importantly, young people must be brave enough to step out of prejudice. Choosing a career is not about gender, but about passion, ability and perseverance,” Dr. Minh emphasized.
According to the first National Report on Civil Registration and Statistics for the period 2021 - 2024, the sex ratio at birth, which reflects the natural balance between boys and girls at birth, is biologically normal at 104 - 106 boys/100 girls. When this ratio exceeds 106, it indicates a deviation from the normal biological level and reflects intentional interventions in the gender aspect. This will affect the natural imbalance, threatening the stability of the national and global population.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/pha-bo-dinh-kien-gioi-trong-chon-nghe-post648948.html
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