Pink-collar workers
Topic: Tertiary, Quaternary and Quinary Activities · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 6 "Tertiary and Quaternary Activities"
Meaning
Pink-collar workers are people in service jobs that have mostly been done by women in the past. These jobs include nursing, teaching, secretarial work and care work. The term shows that some jobs became linked to women. These jobs are often paid less than other work needing similar effort or skill. It matters for studying how gender shapes the pattern of work and pay in the service sector.
Example
Nurses in a hospital and secretaries in an office have traditionally been pink-collar workers. In many countries these jobs are still done mostly by women and are often paid less.
Don't confuse with
- White-collar workers: this term is about the type of work, office and professional jobs. Pink-collar is about jobs historically held by women, whether or not they are done in an office.