Welding is a great skill to have, and a great career choice, regardless of age or sex.
The only limiting factors are eyesight and hand/eye coordination.
Being mentally able to disregard burns is also very helpful.
All welders have different inherent skill levels, and learn the skill at different rates. Some are naturals, who seem to be able to create perfect welds, every time, regardless of circumstances. Some have to try as hard as they can, every time, to make a usually acceptable weld. For the most part, I've seen that females have better inherent skills than most men, so it's easier for them to learn to make quality welds fairly quickly.
The thing about welding is that the welder has to be where the weld joint is located, whether they're sitting in a chair in a weld booth, or having to drag all of their equipment with them while crawling through a double bottom of a ship, or climb to the top of a cell tower.
Picking up welding is a viable and lucrative career choice. However, be careful about what jobs you take afterward.
Tim
Welcome to the Original AWS Forum,
There are many different types of welding jobs out there, pipe, beams, automotive, art etc. From small one man (or woman) operations to large corporations. All requiring different skill levels (good thing since people are all different). It's a matter of learning, training, practicing and finding which weld job suits you.
Above all, motivation. Have the right frame of mind and you can absolutely become a welder regardless of gender, age and intelligence.