DTI wants women to do "men's work"

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is encouraging women into jobs in traditionally male-dominated industries.

Although women constitute almost 50% of the overall UK workforce, they remain heavily under-represented in some areas of employment such as science and technology - only 10% of engineers are female, for example.

"There are many women who want to get into science or manufacturing jobs, but are put off by the macho, male-dominated image and the misconception that a woman simply couldn't do the job," said trade and industry secretary Patricia Hewitt.

The DTI strategy plans to give women more information about these professions, as well as funding universities that support female science and technology graduates in finding jobs in those industries.