Women Who Broke Into Male-Dominated Fields (and How They Did It)

It can definitely be hard to feel empowered as a woman, especially if you’re struggling to find your place in a male-dominated field. There has been a slow but significant progress with gender equality across industries, since CareerBuilder reported that nearly one-quarter of new jobs in male-dominated occupations are being filled by women. Now that more women are occupying these new positions, the number of women employed in male-dominated fields has increased by 5% within the past few years.

We’ve still got a long way to go when it comes to gender equality, but numerous women are already making breakthroughs within these traditionally male-led industries. To motivate you to do the same, here are some of the inspiring women who have successfully broken into male-dominated fields:

Christina and Alexis

Credit: @fempowerbeauty

There are numerous established businesses nowadays, but have you ever noticed that there are men founders?

It’s definitely not easy for women to build businesses, but our very own Christina and Alexis persisted to establish Fempower Beauty to help fellow women build a solid foundation for their self-acceptance and self-love. The conceptualization process took as long as six years, but these founders challenged one another to dig deeper so that they could create a product that transforms lives. Now that they're established, our founders credit Alexis' knowledge in beauty and brand strategy as well as Christina's impressive educational background as their secrets to business success. Together, they truly make a powerhouse.

Jennifer Tilly

Credit: @jennifertilly

Poker has generally been seen as an activity for men, which is why there are fewer women participating in a competitive setting. Yet this trend is slowly changing as more women show they are just as good as poker as the men.

Jennifer Tilly’s net worth from playing poker has reached $30 million, putting her as the number 11 top poker earner in the world, and the highest earning female player. This serves as proof that women can become very successful professional poker players. Tilly won a WSOP Ladies Event Bracelet and participates in celebrity poker television shows. She credits this to perseverance and not giving up. Similarly, you can experience professional success, if you keep going despite any setbacks. The more you succeed the more you can let your records speak for yourself.

Emmalee Garrido

Credit: @emuhleet

Much like the poker industry, very few women make it to eSports competitions, despite the fact that many girls enjoy and excel in gaming.

New Zoo even points out that less than 1% of professional tournament gamers are female, which is why Emmalee “EMUHLEET” Garrido works hard to serve as an inspiration for women who want to become gamers. Her 14 years of experience within the field even pushed her to establish one of the top female CS:GO teams, Selfless Gaming. This would not be possible if Garrido didn't show up for her full-time gaming practice schedule despite her full-time work as a nurse. So if you want to follow in her footsteps, you'll need to dedicate yourself to a rigorous training or self-improvement schedule.

Susan Martinez

Credit: @adastrasu

Engineering is one of the most male-dominated fields in STEM, due to existing gender biases that persist in educational and professional settings.

However, NASA mechanical engineer Susan Martinez is proving that women can excel in the field—even while wearing lipstick in the lab! Martinez pointed out that her senior class of 400 students only had 30 girls in it, which is why she’s working hard to dismantle the fashion, beauty, and gender stereotypes about girls in STEM. Recognizing that there were gatekeeping practices within her field, Martinez encourages women to work through their doubts and embrace their intelligence so that they can succeed in STEM— whether in full make-up or none at all!

Despite being in different fields, these influential individuals prove that women can succeed in male-dominated fields. By following their best practices, you can also break into male-dominated fields and achieve your dreams.