In Portugal, women represent 92.4% of personal care and similar workers, 88.2% of cleaning workers, 76.8% of health professionals and 76.2% of teachers, according to 2022 data published by the Gender, Work and Power Observatory, an organization of ISEG – Lisbon School of Economics & Management led by specialist Sara Falcão Casaca.

The figures show that women account for 76.6% of technicians and intermediate-level health professionals, 74.8% of clerks, secretaries in general and data processing operators, and 71.5% of specialists in legal, social, artistic and cultural matters.

The professions most occupied by women also include meal preparation assistants (68.3%), other administrative support staff (67.8%), direct customer support staff (64.2%), sales staff (61.8%) and personal service workers (60.3%).

On the other hand, the presence of women is less than 30% in professions such as representatives of the legislative branch and executive bodies, senior managers of public administration, specialized organizations, directors and managers of companies (28.1%) or farmers and skilled workers in agriculture and animal production, market-oriented (24.1%).

Women also occupied 22.4% of the positions among information and communication technology technicians, as well as among ICT specialists (22.1%) and among intermediate-level science and engineering technicians and professionals (21.2%).

The segregation is even more noticeable, with less than 20% female participation in the professions of street vendors (except food vendors) and street service providers (19.2%), personnel in protection and security services (16.2%), skilled forestry, fishing and hunting workers (6.8%) and skilled workers, metalworking and similar (4.1%).

However, the lowest representation of women was found among vehicle drivers and mobile equipment operators (3.6%), skilled workers in electricity and electronics (2.4%) and, with the lowest percentage, skilled construction workers and similar workers, except electricians (1.3%).

For the director of the observatory, the data confirms that there continues to be a large representation of professions in Portugal in which the majority (60%) are men or predominate (80% or more) and that it has not been possible to overcome the stereotypical conceptions, which are present from the outset in socialization, namely in the family, which shape the educational and training options of boys and girls.