Latest news with #tradeswomen
Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- Times
Tradeswomen swamped as clients feel safer with them in the home
Tradeswomen have said they are 'inundated' with requests from customers who feel safer with women working in their home. Women in the construction, electrical and plumbing industries have said demand for their services often outstrips supply, as just 2 per cent of skilled trade workers in the UK are female. Several tradeswomen even reported scaling back their marketing as word-of-mouth recommendations travelled so quickly. Steph Leese, 49, who has been working as the Pink Plasterer in Merseyside for 16 years, said that apart from posting on social media, she had not advertised for years. Leese said she was fully booked until September but still received an average of 20 new inquiries a day. 'I think females want a choice of who they've got in their home,' she said. 'Just last week I was with a lady who said she felt propositioned by a man in a conversation regarding work. I hear this all the time.
Globe and Mail
10-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
These women are leading in male-dominated industries – and they're hiring all-women teams
Annastacia Plaskos grew up surrounded by the trades. Her father ran a flooring business, and when her parents split up, her mother continued to run the company. As a teenager, she encouraged her mom to add painting to the list of services and helped to grow the business. After high school, Ms. Plaskos attended university and took business courses. But her heart wasn't in it. 'It wasn't something I wanted to do, and so I [thought], what can I get into that allows me to have some financial freedom while still challenging me mentally and physically? I decided to get into the trades.' Ms. Plaskos shadowed a contractor for several years before she felt she had the skills to set out on her own. Then, she launched Fix It Females, a home renovation business that does everything from house painting to drywalling to building. The business rapidly grew from three to nearly 40 employees within a few years – all of them women. Hiring only female workers was intentional for Ms. Plaskos, who grew tired of having to prove herself to the male tradespeople she was working with, along with experiencing sexism and pay disparities in the industry. 'For me, showing other women you can do this, that it is possible [is important],' she says. 'You can make the same amount of money that a male can in this industry. It is doable.' Ms. Plaskos is one of a growing number of women entrepreneurs in male-dominated sectors who are helping to fuel small business growth in Canada. According to a recent study by GoDaddy, 43 per cent of businesses with 0–9 employees are run by women, while 48 per cent of the country's female-led businesses were started in the last five years. Many women leaders also make a concerted effort to hire an all-female, or mostly female, staff. Heather Cannings, program lead for women's entrepreneurship strategy for Nventure, a non-profit aimed at financing and supporting entrepreneurship in Canada, has seen a small increase in women launching and leading businesses in traditionally male-dominated industries. A 2023 survey found that self-employed women in manufacturing, scientific and technical sectors rose between 2021 and 2022. Ms. Cannings says that women can contribute unique qualities to these kinds of industries. 'I think women are bringing not only technical expertise but they're also bringing collaborative leadership, which is super important.' Women also tend to be very adaptable, she adds, 'which is incredibly valuable in these non-traditional spaces, where innovation and problem-solving are key.' Case in point: Aja Horsely, founder of Calgary-based honey company Drizzle Honey. The environmental studies graduate created the company while researching rooftop beekeeping, finding herself fascinated with the process of producing honey. 'I was driven by ethics and wanting to help the beekeepers make this amazing, beautiful product,' she says. Ms. Horsley started the business on her own, doing all the heavy lifting (hives can weigh up to 36 kilograms) – until she became allergic to bees. She had to quickly rethink her approach and switched gears, hiring local beekeepers to source the honey while taking charge of branding and packaging herself. She also applied and was selected to participate in a business accelerator where she learned strategies to build her brand. Dragon's Den's Arlene Dickenson was an early investor. Ms. Horsley says from the beginning, Drizzle's staff has been proudly all-female, and that has been an advantage. '[Women workers] are very creative and flexible, and I find they can be very driven. When they get an opportunity in a non-traditional work environment, they are willing to work very hard to get where they need to get.' Monisha Sharma, chief revenue officer at Fig Financial, a Canadian digital personal loan provider, was motivated to join Fig because as a champion of financial knowledge for women, she found a lack of growth opportunities for women in finance. She was almost always the sole woman at the table, she says, and there were few accessible tools to help women achieve financial independence. Ms. Sharma leads an all-female team and is part of a leadership crew that is 50 per cent women and persons of colour. She says that for women in non-traditional spaces such as finance or tech, working at smaller companies can sometimes be beneficial because decisions are based on data rather than who is at the leadership table. 'There is a focus on data driven-decision making which does provide a lot of space for women, people who are racialized, anyone who looks and sounds different – they all get room to grow.' At bigger, more established companies, this kind of equity continues to be a challenge, she says. 'There's a large glass ceiling.' One of Fig's initiatives is Women in Fig, an internal mentorship program that provides opportunities for women to receive support and to grow in their careers. Programs like these are key to women's success in non-traditional fields, says Nventure's Ms. Cannings. But she cautions that women don't just need a support group. They also need active champions – male and female – who can open doors for them and 'who are going to provide access, hands-on training, technical roles.' Even more importantly, they need investors and backers who will be with them for the long haul. Ms. Horsley agrees, saying that when she started Drizzle, buyers wouldn't answer her emails or would give her absurdly high quotes. It was difficult to be competitive, she says, because she doesn't feel she was given the same pricing that a male counterpart would to get the business off the ground. Over the last decade, however, Ms. Horsley has found that things are changing for the better. 'Investors know that women are underfunded,' she says. 'The buyers at large corporations know they need to include product purchasing from female-owned companies.' As more entrepreneurs like Ms. Plaskos, Ms. Horsley and Ms. Sharma intentionally create companies that are safe spaces for women and people of diverse backgrounds, the positive impacts will have a ripple effect, Ms. Cannings says. Companies like theirs can provide forums for workers to support one another and to be inspired by female leadership. 'It gives us a sense of shared experience,' she says. 'We can show up as ourselves.' Interested in more perspectives about women in the workplace? Find all stories on The Globe Women's Collective hub here, and subscribe to the new Women and Work newsletter here. Have feedback? Email us at GWC@
The Independent
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
B&Q apologises after cabinet described as ‘easy to assemble, even if you're a girl'
B&Q was forced to apologise after it advertised a storage unit as easy to assemble 'even if you are a girl', according to reports. The DIY shop listed a flatpack bamboo bathroom shelf on its website with the information: "Easy to assemble the cabinet even if you're a girl,' The Sun reported. It said the 'inappropriate' remark had come from a third-party seller and apologised for any offence caused, the same newspaper reported. 'Tall storage cabinet is perfect for saving space, slim design to fit in almost any corner,' the production information read. 'Three shelves provide plenty of storage to keep essentials organised and neat, and the cabinet door provides added privacy. Easy to assemble the cabinet even if you're a girl.' It comes after the DIY shop launched a 'Do The Lift Thing' campaign to 'showcase tradeswomen breaking down barriers'. The project wanted to 'highlight the new movement of women in trades, while spotlighting the barriers preventing more girls and women entering the field'. Supply and Logistics Director Amelie Gallichan-Todd said at the time of the launch: 'With only two per cent of trade professionals being women, B&Q is committed to tackling this and has pledged £1m to fund trade apprentices across a variety of sectors, including carpentry, plumbing, painting and decorating. 'By showcasing successful women in these roles, we hope to inspire the next generation to pursue careers in trades, challenging stereotypes and changing perceptions.' In the introduction to a 'gender pay gap report' last year, B&Q said: 'We're proud of the progress we're making. This is supported by 44 per cent of our management roles being occupied by women.'
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Nail chauvinists! B&Q forced to apologise after listing bathroom cabinet that can be put together 'even if you are a girl'
DIY giant B&Q has been forced to apologise after it advertised a bathroom cabinet as easy to put together 'even if you are a girl'. The 140cm x 33cm flatback bamboo unit appeared on the company website decorated with toiletries and attractive-looking plants. But some buyers were more interested in its description which read: 'Tall storage cabinet is perfect for saving space, slim design to fit in almost any corner. 'Three shelves provide plenty of storage to keep essentials organised and neat, and the cabinet door provides added privacy. 'Easy to assemble the cabinet even if you're a girl.' The item had no reviews or ratings before it was taken down by the British home improvement company, The Sun reports. A spokesman for B&Q added the description had been 'offered by a third-party seller'. She said: 'We apologise for any offence caused by this inappropriate description of a product offered by a third-party seller.' Some buyers were more interested in its description which read 'easy to assemble the cabinet even if you are a girl' The apology comes after B&Q announced its Do The Lift Thing campaign to 'showcase tradeswomen breaking down barriers' in March. It was an initiative the firm hoped would 'highlight the new movement of women in trades, while spotlighting the barriers preventing more girls and women entering the field'. Supply and Logistics Director Amelie Gallichan-Todd said at the time of the launch: 'With only two per cent of trade professionals being women, B&Q is committed to tackling this and has pledged £1million to fund trade apprentices across a variety of sectors, including carpentry, plumbing, painting and decorating. 'By showcasing successful women in these roles, we hope to inspire the next generation to pursue careers in trades, challenging stereotypes and changing perceptions.' In the introduction to a gender pay gap report last year, B&Q said: 'We're proud of the progress we're making. 'This is supported by 44 per cent of our management roles being occupied by women.'
The Sun
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
DIY giant B&Q apologises for listing bathroom cabinet as easy to assemble ‘even if you are a girl'
DIY giant B&Q has apologised after advertising a bathroom cabinet as easy to assemble 'even if you are a girl'. The sexist product listing for their flatpack bamboo unit appeared on its website. 3 The 140cm x 33cm cabinet was shown storing towels, bathroom plants and toiletries. Its product information said: 'Tall storage cabinet is perfect for saving space, slim design to fit in almost any corner. 'Three shelves provide plenty of storage to keep essentials organised and neat, and the cabinet door provides added privacy. "Easy to assemble the cabinet even if you're a girl.' The item had no reviews or ratings before it was taken down after The Sun was alerted by concerned readers. A B&Q spokeswoman said: 'We apologise for any offence caused by this inappropriate description of a product offered by a third-party seller.' The embarrassing blunder comes after B&Q announced its Do The Lift Thing campaign to 'showcase tradeswomen breaking down barriers'. The initiative said the firm wanted to 'highlight the new movement of women in trades, while spotlighting the barriers preventing more girls and women entering the field'. It was launched in March to coincide with International Women's Day. Director Amelie Gallichan-Todd said at the time: 'With only two per cent of trade professionals being women, B&Q is committed to tackling this gender imbalance and has pledged £1million to fund trade apprentices across a variety of sectors, including carpentry, plumbing, painting and decorating. I'm a female miner - men say I 'shouldn't be allowed' on site and ask if I'm the cleaner "By showcasing successful women in these roles, we hope to inspire the next generation to pursue careers in trades, challenging stereotypes and changing perceptions.' In the introduction to its gender pay gap report last year, B&Q said: 'We're proud of the progress we're making. 'This is supported by 44 per cent of our management roles being occupied by women.'
