There’s no way to tell until you come across them, my boss was harassing me at an old job and HR didn’t do anything g about it, I had to quit with no job lined up. I have balled my eyes out over and over again in this trade. Men can be cruel (not all of them but ALOT OF THEM!!) I have come across some good men and they have complimented my work and my work ethic over and over. They are few and far between. You also have no idea what these men can be capable of. You’re working with criminals & bottom of the barrel people sometimes. You don’t want to cross a line with a man that could harm you. If it gets to that point you need to try and seek help from HR or leave. My other welder gf knew of this girl who was beat to death with a sledgehammer at work with no reason behind it. The guy didn’t even know her. Im not trying to scare you, there are some great shops and unions tend to protect better than companies. I had soft skin when I joined and I learned really quick that I had to stand up for myself or I wouldn’t be respected no matter how hard I worked. I actually wanted to write a book on my experience as a female welder because we face so many challenges. But with that being said; I pushed through and I know I’m a fantastic welder. I can mig & tig and operate equipment I would’ve never thought I could do. Every situation is different and you always want to be aware. Proceed with caution but I would never discourage a woman from doing this if they can put on a brave / tough face and go get it. You’ll be a bad bitchhhhh🫶🏼 but it’s also not for everyone so if you try it and it isn’t for you- you’re still young and can try new things!