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Episode Sixteen - Women in Non-Traditional Roles

Special Skills Activity

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Non-Traditional Occupations for Women

In the past, the role of a woman in society was to maintain the home and to care of her husband and children. Women who worked outside the home usually worked in traditional occupations. Traditional occupations for women are teachers, child-care workers, hair dressers, waitresses, secretaries, cashiers, sales clerks, nurses and legal assistants. Currently, the role of women in society is changing, and women are now working outside the home in non-traditional occupations.

Today, women are working in government, media, business, and in the fields of math, science and technology. Today, women make up 48% of the total workforce, working in non-traditional professions. In government, women hold 27% of elected offices as governors, mayors, and attorney generals. 50% of all government workers are women. Also, 40% of all businesses are owned by women. In science and technology, 25% of those employed as computer analysts are women.

In the future, the fastest growing industries for women in non-traditional occupations will be computers, engineering, medicine and law. Women in non-traditional occupations earn 20% to 30% more than women in traditional occupations. This is important because young women today have a 90% chance of becoming the sole supporter of themselves and their children.


1.  What types of jobs pay women more money?
 non-traditional jobs  traditional jobs  teaching, child care, and secretary

2.  Which group of people owns more businesses today?
 men  women  non-traditional employees

3.   What industry is the fastest growing for women in non-traditional occupations?
 teaching  sales  engineering

4.  What chance does a young woman have today of becoming financially responsible for her children?
 20%  90%  10%

5.  In the ___, women's primary role was to maintain the home and take care of her family.
 past  future  coming years

6.  Which occupation is considered non-traditional for women?
 cashier  teacher  business owner

7.  25% of all ___ are women.
 computer analysts  presidents  hair dressers

8.  How much more money can a woman in a non-traditional occupation earn compared to a woman in a traditional occupation?
 20%-30%  50%-60%  10% -15%

9.  What does 'non-traditional' mean?
 the way things have been done for many years  different from the way things were done in the past  the best way to do things

10.  Most ___ are men.
 government officials  nurses  hair dressers

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