A tradie has revealed what it’s really like being a woman in the industry and how she deals with trolling and misogyny.
Jasmine Gurney, 29, from Bedfordshire, UK, is a self-taught handywoman and DIY influencer who has stacked up over 140,000 followers by sharing insights into her career in domestic trades.
After the 2023 UK Trade Skills Index revealed that nine out of 10 trades apprenticeships are occupied by young men, Jasmine has shared her experience of being a woman in trades.
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While the young mum loves the work she does, she often faces prejudice because of her gender.
From catcalling to language that alienates women, Jasmine has shared what life is like for female tradespeople to highlight the barriers women face.
“I get quite a lot of abuse online, with men saying they could do a better job, or I'm doing something 'wrong' and basically try and make out I don't know what I'm talking about,” she told Daily Star.
“They often make comments about my appearance too. It's quite sad really, I don't see any males getting hate like this.
“When working outside client's homes, I've been belittled, with men saying, ‘trying a little DIY are you?’ and being shocked when I reply saying it's actually my job and I explain the complex project I'm working on.
“People have assumed I'm helping my husband or think what I'm working on is going to look botched and are then shocked when they see actually it's pretty damn good!”
One particular comment that has stuck with Jasmin was when she filmed a pergola build tutorial when she was 24 weeks pregnant with a baby bump.
A man decided to take time out of his day to comment that she “should be on the treadmill instead of DIY warrior killing off trades”.
“It’s stuck with me because of how absurd it was! The idea that I can single-handedly kill off trades by showing people how to DIY is just laughable,” she told us.
“A lot of people came to my defence on this one, saying that he can’t be very good if he’s not already booked up or is worried I’m taking away potential business and that I must be really good if a tradie feels threatened by my ability/skill enough to comment on nothing but my weight.”
Jasmin has also received a variety of backhanded compliments about her work, with many of them having misogynistic connotations.
“[People] try to hide their misogyny behind a compliment. TikTok is worse than any other platform for this type of trolling, and 99% of my trolls are men,” she explained.
“The only negative comments I get from women are about decor choices, which you know, each to their own, it’s my house, not theirs.”
Unfortunately being an influencer means Jasmine has faced added judgement from people, especially when adding the words DIY, handywoman and woodworking into the mix.
The 29-year-old said it usually raises a few eyebrows and she’s often met with patronising looks.
On the flip side, Jasmine has also had lovely encounters with women and had men recommend her to friends and family, praising her skills and being thankful for her passing on her knowledge.
“I offer DIY consultations and have had both men and women seek my help and guidance. It's encounters and clients like these that keep me going and make it all worthwhile,” she said.
"Bricklayers, carpenters and labourers etc have all praised my projects and the owners of the lumber yard I buy my timber from are also always impressed with the final look of my jobs and even ask me how they can recreate them.
“I get lots of messages from people saying I've inspired them and are just generally impressed that I have these skills and knowledge. It's a mixed bag for sure.”
Commenting on the prevalence of men in trade careers, Jasmine highlighted how the perception of trade roles needs to change if the industry is to attract more women.
Jasmine, who has a 17-month-old son and earns more than £40,000 a year from her trades and marketing role, says the perception of female tradies has its part to play in preventing women from joining the industry.
“The construction and trade industry is undeniably male-dominant. Job adverts for 'handymen', 'workmen' and 'tradesmen' also alienates women in the industry and makes it a less appealing industry to join,” she explained.
“We can inspire women to begin a career in trades by paying them an equal and fair wage, reducing the gender pay gap and making the workplace culture less intimidating and alienating.
“The catcalling, demeaning language and general derogatory behaviour at construction sites and within trade businesses, needs to stop. Let's be better!
“I actually follow some pretty cool women tradies on Instagram and am constantly impressed with their skill level and strength to keep working in such a male-dominated world."
The 2023 UK Trade Skills Index revealed that the construction industry needs 244,000 additional apprentices by 2032 if the UK is to keep up with construction demand.
Encouraging more girls and young women into trades careers could help plug the skills gap – something that Jasmine hopes to encourage through inspiring her 140,000 followers on social media.
“My goal is to normalise women using power tools and eradicate the gender bias and assumption that only men are allowed to build things,” she continued.
“Through teaching DIY, I hope to inspire people to try projects for themselves and pass these skills onto their children, which in turn hopefully will inspire a new generation of women wanting to get into the trades.”
“If you're good at something and enjoy it, who cares if it's traditionally a 'man's job'.”
“We cannot strive for equality or prove how capable we are if we don't try and push these boundaries.”
“If I were to go back in time, I'd have done further training to learn more about what I love. Instead, I taught myself everything I know, and I hope more women are inspired to challenge these gender stereotypes in the future and go down a more traditional route to gaining these skills.”
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