She can, He can is an original AsiaOne series where we showcase Singaporean men who are working in female-dominated jobs and their empowering personal journey in overcoming stereotypes.
12 Episodes
Episode 1: Is being a male pre-school teacher like running a daddy day care centre? Shane Lim is a male pre-school teacher who has been working in the education field for more than eight years. There’s always been a misconception that a pre-school teacher fulfils the same role as a nanny. Besides, being a male in this field is more challenging because there are many negative connotations and limitations surrounding it. Shane is here to debunk that myth and takes us through his journey of being a pre-school teacher and how his colleagues and the male pre-school teacher community have helped him to become who he is now. He also shares his advice for all males out there who are hesitant to set foot in this field.
Episode 2: Do guys’ man parts get in the way during pole dancing? Due to an increase of people expressing interest in pole dancing, more pole dancing studios have opened to meet the demand. However, male pole dancers are not very common within the community in Singapore. Louis Sue, founder of PXD Pole Studio, tells AsiaOne that the majority of his students are females. Apart from sharing more of his struggles as a male pole dancer, Louis, who has been dancing for nine years, answered some misconceptions the public has about male pole dancers.
Episode 3: This nail technician has definitely nailed it, especially among aunties Kai Yeo, one of the first few male nail technicians in Singapore, shared with AsiaOne his career path in an industry that’s dominated by females. Apart from debunking myths and navigating male-specific challenges, he also highlighted interesting stories such as his popularity with aunties who are fond of his nail design skills.
Episode 4: Men are just as capable at ‘feminine’ jobs like being a florist It is uncommon to see a man working as a florist. Stanley Tan, the director of Windflower Florist, is a male florist who has proven that men are capable of doing ‘feminine’ jobs too. Since he took over the business from his parents after completing national service, he has been tolling day and night in the industry for eight years. Even though the industry mainly consists of women, he believes that men can also contribute their skillsets in various aspects.
Episode 5: Being a stay-at-home dad shouldn’t be praised as it’s a parent’s responsibility Even in today’s modern and progressive society, many still view the role of a full-time stay-at-home dad in a negative light. Most people believe that men should be the main provider in a family and do not consider a stay-at-home dad as a proper career. In fact, the role of a stay-at-home dad is often associated with being useless and worthless. But Amos Wu, who has been a stay-at-home dad for about a year, thinks otherwise. Speaking to AsiaOne, he shared his thoughts on common stereotypes about stay-at-home dads and why he should not be complimented for fulfilling his role as a parent.
Episode 6: Stop the stereotypes! Men are also in touch with their emotions Many people assume that as a social worker, you’d need to possess ‘feminine’ traits such as emotional literacy and empathy. But Desmurn Lim, a male social worker with 20 years of experience, disagrees. He believes modern men are starting to change and are more in touch with their own emotions. He also shared with AsiaOne his journey as a social worker and how he handles serious cases involving female victims of abusive relationships.
Episode 7: Do men take spin classes just to look at bums? True or False? Spin classes are extremely popular especially among millennials and Gen Z. The high-intensity indoor cycling workout attracts mostly female students with majority of instructors being females too. Zachary Tan – a male spin instructor – shares his journey in this female-dominated industry and thoughts on stereotypical statements from the internet.
Episode 8: My character has changed for the better thanks to my career Men in nursing have often been mistaken for doctors. But did they really fail the doctor’s exam, or have they always wanted to be a nurse? Shah, who has been a nurse for 10 years, is here to debunk some stereotypes about male nurses, and share his journey as a male nurse. He also talks about how his occupation has transformed him from a ‘tough guy’ into an empathetic listener who has learnt to communicate effectively with his patients and their loved ones.
Episode 9: Men can excel in creating “female” products too It’s commonly believed that people should only create products for their own gender since they understand their needs better. But that’s not the case with these two male entrepreneurs who founded 2nutguys – a lactation food product company. In this video, they share how they got into making breastfeeding products, how being males helped them out on their journey and the challenges along the way.
Episode 10: He received death-related hate comments for being a male make-up artist Meet Riyan Rashid, a 42-year-old make-up artist who has been working in the female-dominated industry since 2012. From receiving death-related hate comments to dealing with a cancer diagnosis, Riyan’s journey to becoming a make-up artist has not been easy. He tells AsiaOne how he overcomes gender prejudice, uses negative comments as motivation, as well as shares his knowledge with other aspiring male make-up artists through social media. Watch to find out how Riyan deals with these various challenges to get to where he is today.
Episode 11: Does being a full-time male ballet dancer mean you have no future? A career in fine arts is often associated with an inability to achieve success. Mr. Han Kee Juan, the Principal of Singapore Ballet Academy, has been in the ballet scene since the age of 10 and is here to debunk this stereotype, among others. He also addressed the concern of receiving gender remarks with regard to being a male ballet dancer. Lastly, he brought us through the journey of how he became who he is now, and the fulfillment he gets from teaching ballet.
Episode 12: This pet groomer fuels his career by turning negative comments into motivation Meet Desmond Chan, co-founder of Bubbly Petz and Hey Good Cat, and probably the only certified cat groomer in Singapore. He has been working in this female-dominated field since 2014. He tells AsiaOne how he overcame the various challenges – negative connotations and other unsupportive comments about his career – during his journey as a pet groomer.
