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14 Powerful Photos Of Women Doing “Men’s Work” That Prove There’s No Such Thing As “Men’s Work”
How many times have you heard the old expression, "this is a man's job"? We're pretty tired of it, and fortunately, so is California photographer Chris Crisman. With his latest photo series, Women's Work, he's documenting the women who do those 'men's jobs' with pride, and he's breaking down gender stereotypes in the process.
The story of Women's Work starts in early 2016 when Crisman heard from an art producer that a friend of hers had become a butcher, and realized that he had never actually met a female butcher. After meeting and photographing the strong woman, Heather Marold Thomason, Crisman was inspired to find other women taking on unusual jobs that are traditionally male-dominated. From farmers to firefighters, to lobster fishers, the professional photographer was able to locate and capture dozens of inspiring women from across the nation, and finally rolled out the project in October 2016.
Though Women's Work is now 'out there,' Crisman insists that it's a work-in-progress. "There are so many people with interesting jobs that we would still love to include in the project, but we’ll get there. I believe that Women’s Work is the type of project where the purpose does not have an expiration date," he told APE in a November interview. The Penn Valley-based photographer is the father of 2 young children, including a daughter, whom he encourages to dream without limits and pursue her passions, even if others see them as unconventional.
More info: Chris Crisman Photography (h/t: APE)
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Mindy Gabriel, Firefighter In Upper Arlington, Ohio
Nancy E 8 years ago
Great picture! When I was in nursing school, students had to go into a controlled house fire that firefighters were burning down. We had to use extinguishers which were hard enough . The fire hoses weighed a ton , &, one student got 2nd degree burns . Why , you ask , did we have to do this ? All these years later, I still don't have an answer.
Galeanthropy2017 8 years ago
This one, in my opinion, is the best--it perfectly balances courage in the face of danger.
Sunday Lane 8 years ago
I hope you get in a situation where a woman has to save you. ;)
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RELATED:
#2
Sadie Samuels, Lobster Fisher In Rockport, Maine
#3
Leeann Johnson, Haul Truck Driver At Round Mountain Gold Mine In Round Mountain, Nevada
Katrina Clubb 8 years ago
Haul truck driver isn't a mans job. Its a job. I live in a mining community and women work in the mine the same as men.
Karin Morris 8 years ago
Women actually have much more tolerance to pain than men do, the only difference is strength and I'm stronger than many men I know
Rogue Hater 8 years ago
And women are far better with maintenance and caring for their machinery.
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Outatime 8 years ago
This isn't that rare... In Alberta hundreds of women run equipment like this and way more.
Rogue Hater 8 years ago
Calm down mate. It's not our fault you have a small penis and every woman you've been with has told you so.
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#4
Women Doing 'men's Work'
Sylvia Valentin 8 years ago
That must be an excellent thing to do when stressed "I (BAM!)AM(BAM!)NOT(BAM!)ANGRY(BAM!!)!!"
Rosa Greyhound 8 years ago
I dare you to tell that to the woman I the photo with the big hammer
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#5
Alison Goldblum, Property Developer In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
CatPerson 8 years ago
if you have a dream, you follow that dream. don't let expectations drag you down
Rogue Hater 8 years ago
I'm a property developer... ummm I'm just in an office all day, I would go out to site maybe twice a week.more of a woman's job to be honest
#6
Heather Marold Thomason, Butcher And Owner Of Primal Supply Meats In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Lea Wheeler 8 years ago
My thoughts exactly. . . . hands and arms would be covered in fat and blood
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Maryann Intonti 8 years ago
Féria Goddaym.... I totally agree with you! Mr. D**k certainly lives up to his name. He's such an angry jerk.
Outatime 8 years ago
Actually I just flipped through his panda profile and I'm pretty sure he's the one that's sick in the head. Yikes. Violent vids..
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#7
Christina Burris, Brewer And Operations Manager Of St. Benjamin’s Brewing In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
MsSoan1 8 years ago
Feminism is stupid for you? So you just want women to not receive equal rights and they go to the men?
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#8
Mira Nakashima, Designer And Woodworker At George Nakashima Woodworking In New Hope, Pennsylvania
#9
Judy Bowman, Process Operator, Round Mountain Gold Mine, Round Mountain, Nv
Jovy Jergens 8 years ago
I hope to goodness that a sunscreen is being utilized...................
#10
Beth Beverly, Taxidermist In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
MsSoan1 8 years ago
Firstly, taxidermy is the act of preserving animals who died naturally. It isn't gory and is more humane than killing a deer for horns.
Hi_Welcome_to_Chili's 8 years ago
Thanks, I didn't know what taxidermy meant. (Actually mean it) 😊
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Lena Sterling 8 years ago
it's not her hobby, it's her job and she does not stuff dead animals, she prepares it! ;-)
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Pat 8 years ago
Most taxidermy is done with animals that a hunter has shot. Made into a trophy.
Lucybaby 8 years ago
Taxidermy always creeps me out, its like I can look into the eyes of those animals and see their soul :/
#11
Jordan Ainsworth, Mill Operator At Round Mountain Gold Mine In Round Mountain, Nevada
Diana CrunChewy Watson 8 years ago
I find that not as many people in Nevada buy into all the isms that most of us do. They don't much care what gender, color, religion or whatever you are. If you are want to work, then do it. There are exceptions of course. Nobody's perfect.
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Alexis Cook 6 years ago
She might be doing a mans job but she also likes to cheat on hardworking men......
#12
Kris Alvarez, Senior Geologist At Round Mountain Gold Mine In Nevada
Sofía Gutiérrez Jara 8 years ago
Never knew that being a geologist was a man job (I am a student of geology and never saw it that way). Is time to stop giving stereotyopes to every job or thing you see around!
Pat 8 years ago
100 years ago it was almost impossible for women to be accepted to a lot of colleges or professions. Women like Marie Curie were few and far between. Even now in some countries women are being killed just for being a teacher. Used to be if a woman got married she had to quit teaching. But was alright if a male teacher was married. You have to look at history to see why jobs were considered a man's. If a woman went to work she lost her position in society and was ostracized. Women were to take care of the home and have children.
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#13
Nancy Poli, Pig Farmer At Stryker Farms In Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania
Too Lazy To Care 🐼 8 years ago
I absolutely love pigs! I have always wanted to own a small farm with a few piggies in there.
Tesla Sulu 8 years ago
loving pigs does not mean eating them or sending them off to be slaughtered
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Lazy Panda 8 years ago
I never really saw any type of farming as man's work but I guess some people see it that way. But on a separate note, is it just me or does is look like she was photoshopped into the second photo?
Lea Wheeler 8 years ago
Those animals need a lot more space, they don't look to be in that great a condition. She's pretty neat and clean for a hard working farmer. Sorta' Soap Opera look.
Felicia Dale 8 years ago
Brave woman. I wouldn't go in a pen with so many pigs. Neat animals and I totally respect them but, nope.
Sofia Bellavista 8 years ago
Try the public toilets of an underground station.
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Nga Kieu 8 years ago
in third world countries, women mostly raises pigs.. they have to feed twice a day, bath them and clean their poop. really stinks.
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Sofia Bellavista 8 years ago
Tell me about it... I honestly cannot wrap my head around how someone can kill beings that they have raised. They must be empathy-impaired.
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Carol Warn, Leach Pad Operator At Marigold Mining Company In Valmy, Nevada
Paula Newsome 8 years ago
Way too limited.....need to travel the actual globe and take photos of women who keep communities together because of their back-breaking work.
Florencia Rojas-Miguez 8 years ago
obviously you've never been to a mine site. it is backbreaking work...
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Felicia Dale 8 years ago
Gorgeous photos- but I would love to see photos from more places than just the US.
Tesla Sulu 8 years ago
Great to see more possibilities open to women....white women that is. Only 1 woman of color on this list.
Medshroom Andra 8 years ago
Defenetly passion can bring any human being doing his/her best work, it doesn` t depend on the sex...womans can be giologists, archeologists, designers, farmers, sailos, if they have a passion for it, like mens can do also, but working in a factory as a worker, or mill operators, or any idustrial jobs, i think that kind of job it`s done more as a need, as a lack of inspiration and value for yourself, so some of them are defenelty drived by passion, and some of them are driverd by need...it depends on the case...and every story is different...so this is just another feminist article which is not so appliable in the everyday life...it s some sort of propaganda.
Pat 8 years ago
So just because someone works in a factory they lack passion and are driven by need. It is called living in the real world. Typical male drivel about feminism.
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What do you think ?
Daria B 8 years ago
This is great and I love to see the breaking of harmful stereotypes! However... Sometimes I have random thoughts that one of the big problems with femminism is actually leaning too much over proving that women can be as good as man, even to the extent of literally boyish women being considered as feminist heroes. Now, NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT alone. But... It would be even more empowering with the ADDITION of men proudly doing what's considered "women's work". It would show that the femininity is being embraced, not diminished as "inferior work for inferior beings", or "easy work for weak creatures". Anyway... For these women, I have nothing but compliments.
Wezbie 8 years ago
Damn I was 19 minutes too late! That was exactly what I was going to say! I would love to see it be more of a 'breaking down stupid job stereotypes' and show men as nannys', stay at home dads, nurses, cake decorators etc. Anything that has been considered 'girly' in the past and preventing men from doing what they really love too. I love that this encourages little girls to become whomever they want and I would like the same for little boys.
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John L 8 years ago
If they can handle the physical demands of the job, then go for it. Just remember though that women are set up best for endurance, and not burst strength. That's why genetically men were the hunters, and required different strengths, while women used their endurance for everything else.
Roger Nehring 8 years ago
Golly John L, Thanks a ton for the mansplainin' !
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Marioara Popescu 8 years ago
How the f**k are these "men's jobs"? Women have been doing these things since ever. The only men's job I can think of is sperm donor. There is literally nothing else that requires a penis.
Matt Barnes 8 years ago
I have a wonderful photo of my sea captain wife, wearing our infant son on her back while she pilots a commercial passenger vessel. I love my strong lady.
Loren Halsey 8 years ago
Meh. Whatever.....i have known women that do "men's" work for YEARS. Good photos, but the message is skewed by an agenda
jha13 8 years ago
It is cute how women tend to seek validation when it comes to proving they can "do" men's work. Women doing these kind of jobs are much more of an oddity than what the feminist media would make you think. Truth is men die at dangerous jobs in a much more alarming rate than women. Nice photoshoot though, a bit condescending, but nicely done. Really liked the composition and the use of light in #10
Lea Wheeler 8 years ago
Sadly, they forgot the women in the military. A coupe of jobs here are just push button ones.
Seal Over 8 years ago
i mean ... Who even stops them from doing these jobs ? The fact that these women managed to do it , simply proves that there's nothing stopping them , just their own mindsets , The biggest reason those jobs are called " Men's work " is because most of the people who would want such jobs are men , which are more used to Physical work than women o.o
Daria B 8 years ago
This is great and I love to see the breaking of harmful stereotypes! However... Sometimes I have random thoughts that one of the big problems with femminism is actually leaning too much over proving that women can be as good as man, even to the extent of literally boyish women being considered as feminist heroes. Now, NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT alone. But... It would be even more empowering with the ADDITION of men proudly doing what's considered "women's work". It would show that the femininity is being embraced, not diminished as "inferior work for inferior beings", or "easy work for weak creatures". Anyway... For these women, I have nothing but compliments.
Wezbie 8 years ago
Damn I was 19 minutes too late! That was exactly what I was going to say! I would love to see it be more of a 'breaking down stupid job stereotypes' and show men as nannys', stay at home dads, nurses, cake decorators etc. Anything that has been considered 'girly' in the past and preventing men from doing what they really love too. I love that this encourages little girls to become whomever they want and I would like the same for little boys.
Load More Replies... John L 8 years ago
If they can handle the physical demands of the job, then go for it. Just remember though that women are set up best for endurance, and not burst strength. That's why genetically men were the hunters, and required different strengths, while women used their endurance for everything else.
Roger Nehring 8 years ago
Golly John L, Thanks a ton for the mansplainin' !
Load More Replies... Marioara Popescu 8 years ago
How the f**k are these "men's jobs"? Women have been doing these things since ever. The only men's job I can think of is sperm donor. There is literally nothing else that requires a penis.
Matt Barnes 8 years ago
I have a wonderful photo of my sea captain wife, wearing our infant son on her back while she pilots a commercial passenger vessel. I love my strong lady.
Loren Halsey 8 years ago
Meh. Whatever.....i have known women that do "men's" work for YEARS. Good photos, but the message is skewed by an agenda
jha13 8 years ago
It is cute how women tend to seek validation when it comes to proving they can "do" men's work. Women doing these kind of jobs are much more of an oddity than what the feminist media would make you think. Truth is men die at dangerous jobs in a much more alarming rate than women. Nice photoshoot though, a bit condescending, but nicely done. Really liked the composition and the use of light in #10
Lea Wheeler 8 years ago
Sadly, they forgot the women in the military. A coupe of jobs here are just push button ones.
Seal Over 8 years ago
i mean ... Who even stops them from doing these jobs ? The fact that these women managed to do it , simply proves that there's nothing stopping them , just their own mindsets , The biggest reason those jobs are called " Men's work " is because most of the people who would want such jobs are men , which are more used to Physical work than women o.o
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