International Women's Day: What is it like to be a woman in trades?

Claudette B.
Mar 8, 2023
12 min read

Updated: Mar 9, 2023

I'll admit it. Despite my efforts to use gender-neutral terms such as, 'tradesperson' or 'tradespeople', I still picture a man with his toolbox in hand and helmet on his head when I write or say it. Even as a female.

And I know I'm not alone in this, either, since most of us have seldom seen one. In fact, when conducting my research for this blog, I was informed – albeit sarcastically – they 'don't exist'.

But they do exist, just not in numbers comparable to those of men. Staggeringly, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) states that only a measly 1% of tradespeople are women, with this percentage hardly seeing any change in a decade.*

It's no surprise, then, that my first thought of a tradesperson is not a woman getting her hands dirty in the woodshop, but instead a middle-aged man with years of experience fixing a broken sink.

But I'd like to change that. So, in honour of International Women's Day, I'm holding myself to account and speaking to the women in the 1% who are passionate about their roles and finding out exactly what they do, the challenges they face and why they got into the industry to begin with.

I'm also hoping that, by giving women in trades the spotlight, I can inspire fellow women to try their hand at something they may not have considered doing previously, purely because they didn't feel they looked the part.

Speaking to 7 women from various types of trades, here's my attempt at breaking the stereotype of what it means to be a tradesperson by answering the following question: 'What is it like to be a woman in trades?'

Courtney

'Confidence is key; not arrogance but confidence in your ability and willingness to learn your craft'.

Courtney, a Product Specialist for Makita UK, spends her days demonstrating power tools to end users covering the construction industry and grounds maintenance industry.

Always at different locations – be it a golf course or a HS2 site – her role is one that allows her to meet a variety of different trades and people every day, which is something that she says enticed her to the role to begin with. She explains, 'it keeps the job varied'.

As a woman working with power tools, however, it has not come without its challenges. She confesses, 'Not being taken seriously on face value due to being a woman in such a male-dominated industry and job role' is something she has had to deal with, but explains how she can break these barriers: 'by being knowledgeable on product and application, that usually stops any critics!'

In terms of being valued and respected in this role, she says, 'I always take time to learn products and applications so this comes across well with users who are seeking advice or training'. She also adds that, 'being confident in yourself and the product adds that extra level of value and respect from the end user'.

What about feeling comfortable in the workplace? She gives it an 8 out of 10. 'Talking about tools all day' puts her at ease, especially as a specialist in these products.

If given the opportunity, Courtney says the one thing she would change to make working in a trade more inclusive and accommodating to women would be to 'consider flexible working', especially when it comes to family routines, since this may encourage more women to take on a trade after having children. However, in her own experience, she's never felt discouraged from joining the industry, but she did once have a customer say he would 'rather deal with a male colleague', likening it to women 'not wanting to change their hairdresser!'

That hasn't stopped her though. And she hopes nothing stops other women in trades, either. She professes, 'ALL women in trades and the tool industry inspire me every day as I know the challenges it can bring. Keep breaking down those barriers ladies!'

Celebrate Courtney with us for International Women's Day by following her work on @makitauk's Instagram page.

Jennie

'I've shown I am more than capable of doing things males can and that forces people to value my skills'.

Jennie is a Joiner who joined (no pun intended) the trade after wanting to learn new skills with the intention of managing her own properties.

With a strong sense of humour, she jokes that the biggest challenge she faces as a woman in her job is 'Maintaining [her] nail varnish!' and states that she does feel valued and respected in her field: 'I've had to work hard to get where I am and I feel that is respected in my field'.

On a scale of 1 to 10, she gives us a solid 10 when describing her level of comfort in the job, perhaps pertaining to the fact that she feels 'very much' valued in her work. This, I feel, shows how a positive outlook and great support system can benefit women in trades.

It's not all perfect, though, as Jennie admits there is more that needs to be done to accommodate women in trades: 'Simple things such as being able to get gloves and clothes that fit properly' as well as 'more female role models that people can learn from', she says, would be useful. At the moment, since her industry is so male-centric, she does feel '[women] have to be one of the lads a bit', but they should be sensitive to issues such as menstruation which can bring on added stress.

Despite her qualms, Jennie doesn't want any of her colleagues to treat her any differently from how they treat each other. She states, 'I feel just because I’m a woman I shouldn’t expect any special treatment, nor do I desire it, and I think that builds good foundations for working relationships'.

Her advice to women looking to get into trades? 'Be yourself', she says. 'Don’t feel like you can’t take care of yourself. Wear make-up if you want, do your nails if you want, just make sure your reasons for wanting to be in the industry are valid'.

And don't become discouraged by the biases that come with choosing to work in trades: 'I was told I would be better suited working as a beautician and that a woman shouldn’t be lifting so much and getting dirty. It never discouraged me, it made me want to work harder and show I’m in the field because it’s what I want to do and it’s what I’m good at!'

Celebrate Jennie with us for International Women's Day by following @femalejoiner_work on Instagram.

Jieyun

'Be aggressive to get results'.

Jieyun is an Import Buyer working in the International Trade Industry for a power tool company in the UK. Her role involves buying products from reliable foreign suppliers and assessing their quality, pricing and specifications to ensure they are suitable for sale.

Making her ideas in terms of performance and display 'come true' is what motivated her to take on this role, despite it being in a male-dominated field. She confesses, seeing 'end users enjoy [her products]' after her hard work is something that fulfills her, even if she's 'not quite sure' her contributions are always valued and respected.

She feels that, 'Power tools and tools are mostly considered as men's toys', so it's a big challenge for her to use the tools and understand them in a way that resonates with a predominately male audience. But she does so anyway, because of that gratifying feeling of seeing a customer enjoy her tools.

Giving her level of comfort in the job a high but imperfect 8 out of 10, she suggests there are areas for improvement in the industry: 'Provide training for women in how to use power tools' is one way she would ensure inclusivity in the workplace if she had the power to do so.

Jieyun finds being helpful when colleagues reach out by responding to their questions and needs is a good way to build and maintain positive relationships at work, but she understands the importance of being aggressive when it's needed and would advise any woman looking to get into the trades or power tool industry to do the same.

Moreover, while she feels it is a 'great thing' to be a woman in the power tool industry, she doesn't discount the importance of men on the job, stating that, due to strict training of systems and purchasing procedures from her male colleague, it 'helped her [have] lots of practice'.

With this much-needed support, it has only helped her grow further in confidence in the position, which is also one she encountered 'by chance' but chose to develop in because 'tools are powerful; they help us build a better place to live'.

Celebrate Jieyun with us for International Women's Day!

Nora

'I have to work twice as hard as the men'.

Nora is an Inside Wireman (Journeyman Electrician) who was enticed to the role thanks to what she calls, 'The excitement that comes with never truly knowing what you will be working on from day to day'.

The job suits her well since she likes to bounce from task to task instead of 'being tied to one place all day', however, it's not without its limitations. We've all heard the saying that women have to work 'twice as hard' as men and this rings all too true for Nora, who gives her comfort level in the job a 9 out of 10. She says, 'I'd like to see some sort of sexual harassment refresh training in place' as well as 'emergency sanitary supplies for women on site' to make the experience more accommodating.

However, she does feel valued and respected in the role – 'knowing [she has] a good reputation within [her] local union' as an active union member certainly helps. Plus, she has no trouble when it comes to working relationships, expressing that 'casual conversation' along with 'showing respect' works well.

Even her male peers help her to feel supported when she does feel discriminated against, recalling a time after a particularly difficult wire pull when another Journeyman (a male) was talking to their Project Manager about the pull. She recollects:

'The Project Manager said to the journeyman, "I can't believe you got that done, and with a woman". The other journeyman replied, "Don't do that, that woman works harder than some of the men in this company"'.

On advice she would give to fellow women looking to join the trade, she says, quite powerfully, 'Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't, because yes you can. You can demand respect in a professional manner. There is no success without failure, so don't beat yourself up if you make a mistake'.

And if anyone knows about making mistakes, it's Nora. In fact, her mistakes are the very reason she considered getting into trades. The significant moment came to her in prison after getting into some trouble in her youth. She says, 'It was then that I knew I really wanted to turn my life around for the better'. And thanks to the trades programmes and trades employment in the facility she was incarcerated in, she was put on the electrical crews, fell in love and the rest is HER-story.

Celebrate Nora with us for International Women's Day by following @nora_amaala on Instagram.

Raffa

'[On advice to fellow women in trades] Don't try too hard to prove yourself, just do your best and let the results do the talking'.

'Your friendly local female plumber', Raffa is a Plumber and the Director of her own business, Raffas Plumbing Services, based in Milton Keynes. She joined the plumbing trade to get 'the chance to help people, see immediate results and make a difference'.

While she feels 10/10 in terms of comfort in her job thanks to her many years of expertise, she does feel it is difficult for women to be taken seriously in the field of plumbing, stating that her biggest challenge is '[Male] colleagues that don't trust [her] abilities'.

However, Raffa currently works alone, so colleagues are less of an issue. In terms of customers valuing her in her role, she simply states, 'Every day', proving she is a woman that is all about customer satisfaction.

If given the opportunity to make plumbing a more inclusive industry, Raffa says she would like to see 'more [nontraditional] apprenticeships for women and give them the chance to grow in their role'. While female-exclusive trade apprenticeships may be out there, research shows that there is still a gender gap in generic trade courses. In 2018, The Young Women's Trust (YWT) found that '[for] every one female apprentice in construction there were 50 males, and in engineering one female for every 25 male apprentices'.**

For the women willing to be part of the change and tackle a trade, Raffa has some compelling advice: 'Don't try too hard to prove yourself, just do your best and let the results do the talking'.

It's lucky Raffa found her niche when she did because an apprenticeship was never on the cards for her after finishing college, which she feels was due not only to her gender but also age discrimination. She states, 'even if it wasn't clearly said', there were no offers available to her, meaning she had to create her own path into what would later become a great career, rather than a more accessible route.

And her 'I want to get into trades' moment? There wasn't one – it just naturally happened!

Celebrate Raffa with us for International Women's Day by heading over to her website, http://raffas.co.uk/

Sally

'My advice [to women looking to get into trades] is... go for it! Show them how it's done!'

Sally is a fourth-generation Bench Joiner who was destined for the profession. After growing up in the family business helping her father in his workshop on school holidays and weekends, she left school and went straight into an apprenticeship for the business, following in the footsteps of not just her father, but her grandfather and great-grandfather, too!

She's of course, the first female bench joiner in the family, though, which comes with its own challenges independent from what her male family members have been through. She says that the biggest challenge of all was the beginning, where she felt 'people would find it hard to accept a woman in a male-dominated profession'. However, 3 years in, this is, for her, far from the case: 'everyone has been very accommodating'.

Sally says she feels completely valued and respected in the role and wouldn't even make any changes to make working in joinery a more inclusive environment, since she feels it already is. 'the construction industry is accepting and respecting more females so this can only go onwards and upwards', she states, which is something to admire.

Giving a solid 10 for comfort in the workplace, this can only be due to the fact that she gets to work with the people she adores most: her family. While many might scoff at the idea, Sally and co have their ways to maintain positive working relationships. She says, 'we find that having regular discussions about what works well and new ideas always helps' but that most importantly, 'we like to have a laugh'.

Her positive attitude to the workplace is further evident in her customer experiences. She describes a time she made a bench for a customer – a sentimental piece of timber that he was very happy to collect. But that wasn't the best part of the story. She recalls, 'He [...] showed interest that I was a female joiner and expressed how nice it was to see a woman in the trade and to see that I was working with my dad in the family business – as that’s what [he] and his daughter do too'.

Despite joinery being in her blood, however – believe it or not – this wasn't Sally's first career choice! She confesses, 'Throughout a couple of years at school, I fancied being a P.E Teacher', and she even did work experience in that field. But it wasn't meant to be, as she knew it wasn't for her. So, at 16, she decided instead to go for Bench Joinery, calling it 'rewarding'.

She's had a few female inspirations along the way, too, citing 'a few videos online of [...] women in the trades doing what they do best' as the reason why she got the courage to start an Instagram page.

Celebrate Sally with us for International Women's Day by following @_thebenchjoinersdaughter_ on Instagram.

Yasmin

'I'd like to see more push put forward for women'.

Yorkshire-based Yasmin is a Tig Welder for Ginetta Cars, which she got into after wanting a more hands-on job outside the recommended nails and hairdressing she was initially offered at college. After pushing to try welding instead, she never looked back, confessing, 'If I can do it, literally anybody else can!'

Although she says she was 'quite arty' during high school, she concluded that, '[She] didn't feel it was anywhere [she] wanted to go', so turned to college for assistance in helping her find a potential career. Her course in mechanical engineering and welding was initially a two-week test run to see how things would turn out, but changed her life for the better. 'I did a few lessons and I was like, [gasps] this is so much fun! I wanna do this forever!'

However, there cannot be ups without downs, as she knows all too well the downside of being a woman in a male-led industry. '[There's an] automatic misconception that people are going to immediately come in and go, "Oh, well, YOU can't lift anything, everyone has to do all that for you"'. She even says she has been mistaken by people as being part of her company's administrative staff, walking onto site and hearing, 'Oh, are you here to do paperwork?'

It doesn't end there, either. Yasmin recalls a time when she walked onto a site and was told to leave, despite being there to weld. 'Excuse me, love, this isn't for sixteen-year-olds', she tells me with her hand to the camera, demonstrating the universal hand signal to stop, in a voice that can only resemble an imitation of a male client's. She does admit people are accommodating when she points out their error, though; almost like you can see the instant regret in their eyes.

Due to experiences like these, it's a mixed bag for Yasmin when it comes to feeling respected at work, noting that in her current workplace as well as previous workplaces, she feels 'completely and utterly respected in that factor', but on site where she says, 'it's a different kind of environment with people from multiple backgrounds', she admits, 'not always'.

In order to make the welding environment better for women, Yasmin wants to see more push put forward for them coming out of school. She says being in trades is 'not an option that's given' to women, but rather, taken. In Yasmin's experience, this is certainly the case, as she tell me, 'Every college course and every course I have ever attended, I have only ever been THE female'.

But all in all, being female in the industry has helped her put herself out there and build up a community. Referring to her Instagram inspirations Mikala (@mikalaeademetalwork) and Mel Davis (@melsmetalwork), she says, 'the fact that you're all slightly different to everybody else kind of unites you as a group'.

Celebrate Yasmin with us for International Women's Day by following @yasmin_welding on Instagram.

Tackling the gender bias

Now, to the woman who might be considering a role in trades but may or may not be comfortable with the idea since it is such a male-oriented industry, I say: give it a go!

There's strength in numbers and I firmly believe that with more Courtney's, Jennie's, Jieyun's, Nora's, Raffa's, Sally's and Yasmin's in the world, we can take that 1% and turn it into 50%.

Because – as International Women's Day teaches us – diversity and representation matters, as it's the only way we can truly make an equal world for all.

(And if you hear the word 'tradesperson' and remember the women, too, even better).

Get your toolkit ready: Use code MARCH8 when you spend £140 or more at UK Planet Tools for an exclusive International Women's Day discount. Hurry, offer lasts for one day only!