Stereotypes

We always tend to categorise and stereotype anything new we see/experience. After spending the last two days on site, I have today come to a conclusion that a certain stereotype regarding genders is true. Essentially in the sugar mill, you can sort of separate the plant into 3 different areas: engineering, the actual operation of the plant and laboratory testing of samples from various parts of the process and to make sure that the farmers are being paid what they should be. 

I've spent half the day in the engineering office actually working - female-wise, there is only myself as an engineer on this site. I've spent majority of yesterday and today in the plant itself and have met at least half of the operators - all of which are males, I've also only seen perhaps 2-3 female operators so far. Having just been introduced to the lab this afternoon, it is fairly safe to say that everyone in there are female.

From my observations, my conclusion was that the stereotype of males do the hard labour and thinking jobs while females do the soft, nothing too brain-consuming jobs is true. I may or may not have offended some people here and I know for a fact that this is NOT always true. It just so happens that on this site, I feel that this stereotype holds.

***

I wish coffee worked, or something does. Every morning at 8am we have a meeting and every time I am struggling to stay focused.