During my long career in the oil patch trades I encountered nary a single female welder nor a female with a steam ticket. No drilling rig that I ever managed had a female rig pig. However, towards the end of my career females were taking over many formerly male jobs such as heavy equipment operators or truckers. Many companies have learned that females are better than males at some of those jobs....being gentler with the big machines and thus, reducing maintenance costs.

Since retirement I have taken on a few short term gigs with former employers and I have seen a couple of female diesel mechanics and one female millwright. In fact, I watched (surreptitiously) one of those female diesel mechanics as she tore down and then repaired a diesel generator which is a grimy job, occasionally requiring some brute force with large wrenches. That woman did the job perfectly and in a most efficient manner, probably better than I could have done myself.

She could even curse magnificently.