AT a recent gathering of justices of the peace in Trelawny, psychologist Rev Dr Dave Hazle raised a troubling point about Jamaica’s shifting job market. He argued that, as opportunities expand for women in traditionally male-dominated fields, men are being left without sufficient alternatives, an absence that, in some cases, is pushing them toward quick-money schemes like scamming.

In a piece carried in this newspaper, Dr Hazle pointed to the same issue, using gas station work as one example, where female attendants are now a large part of the workforce.

“There are reasons why the employers prefer to employ women,” he said. “Some of the man dem say, ‘Boy, me can’t work for that [low wages].’ No wonder there is an increasing number of men who want to become scammers… It’s quick money; money they can earn without having to do all the trappings of other kinds of employment.”

Dr Hazle’s comments, though controversial, point to an uncomfortable truth: Women are not only stepping up in the workforce, but are also shouldering the burdens men are increasingly abandoning.

Once upon a time, being gainfully employed, no matter how modest, was a man’s pride, a marker of dignity and responsibility. That mindset has shifted, and today too many men no longer see value in honest labour, dismissing it as too cheap, too hard, or beneath them.

For decades, women have fought to carve out spaces in industries that once shut them out, and this progress is worthy of celebration. Yet, even while women climb, they often carry the double weight of professional achievement and traditional responsibilities at home. And where are our men? Some are gambling their futures on scamming. Others spend their days on TikTok, begging strangers for “taps” and “roses”; and on the streets, others crowd intersections, turning the simple act of wiping a windscreen into a form of harassment. These new male ‘occupations’ aren’t pathways to dignity or stability, but signal that many men do not own their meaningful role in our changing society.

Even when confronted with evidence that the landscape is changing, and their masculinity is being challenged, many men choose to disengage instead of adapting. The result is a widening gap, with women spreading themselves thin to keep society moving forward.

It’s important that we all acknowledge the men’s own role in creating this imbalance, rather than blindly accepting Dr Hazle’s words that, “There are shifts that are happening in the employment space, and I’m not so sure we are creating enough alternative ways of employment for men to occupy.”

Women’s advancement should not be painted as the cause of men’s struggles. Women have done nothing more than seized opportunities that were once denied them. The real problem is men’s lack of vision to see value in doing the same for themselves.

Until men adapt, women will continue to bear the heaviest load, holding together their careers, families, and communities. This resilience is admirable, but it’s not sustainable.

Be forewarned, a society where women rise while men strip themselves of the pride tied to honest work is not progress. True progress requires men to gather their dignity, and not wallow in the quiet despair of irrelevance.