Women in the Oil and Gas Industry
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, "Table 18: Employed Persons by Detailed Industry, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity," women make up just 18% of the workforce in the oil and gas industry. Because this is a historically male dominated field which, for some, conjures up images of dirty, rig workers which means oil and gas is not always an appealing field for women.
The old boys mentality that is so ingrained in the field is a deterrent and tends keeps women out of top level positions, usually this is not intentional on the part of the company. In 2009 the oil and gas industry experienced a mass exodus of women in key top level positions, and currently less than 10% of executive and board member positions in oil and gas companies are held by women.
Source: http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/06/24/oil-and-gas-industry-called-out-for-lack-of-women-in-top-posts/
