More than ever, it seems like society is more open to going against the gender-stereotyped grain when it comes to pursuing a career. Even so, we still tend to associate certain professions with certain genders, and there are statistics that back up these associations–in 2012, 14% of engineers were female, and in 2013, only 19% of elementary and middle school teachers were male. Still, this hasn’t stopped women from pursuing STEM and other fields traditionally dominated my men. But a recent study at Indiana University Bloomington has found that these women may be suffering negative effects to their brains as a result of these male-dominated work environments.
“We find that such women are more likely to experience exposure to high levels of interpersonal, workplace stressors,” said researcher Bianca Manago. The study was conducted by measuring levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, throughout the day in women in male-dominated (85% or more) fields. People who experience higher levels of stress experience greater fluctuation of cortisol levels throughout the day, which was found to be the case for many women in the study. Chronic high levels of stress can lead to other health problems, and even decrease life expectancy.
These high levels of stress are likely a result of the negative environments these women must work in. Many have their talents or capabilities questioned, are talked down to, or even experience sexual harassment at work. As the number of women who defy gender stereotypes about career choice continues to grow, we wonder how much longer it will take for these workplaces to be a safe, positive environment for all those who work in them.