Stef has worked as a tradie for nine years. Photo / MelbourneChippyChick/Instagram
Stef has worked as a tradie for nine years. Photo / MelbourneChippyChick/Instagram
A female tradie has lifted the lid on what it is really like being a woman in the industry, revealing some of the outrageous questions she gets asked from clients.
Madi Moriarty has been working as a carpenter in Sydney for the past four years and has had to fight time and time again just to be taken seriously โ all because of her gender.
She first decided she wanted to pursue a career in trade when she was 19 after being inspired by the work of a female cabinetmaker.
However, it soon became clear that even getting her foot in the door as an apprentice wouldn't be an easy task.
"I experienced an immense amount of pushback as a young female with no trade experience. I applied for over 60 apprentice positions," Madi told news.com.au.
"I wasn't taken seriously and was often told that I wouldn't cope, the work would be too physical and heavy, and working in a trade wasn't a woman's job."
Madi Moriarty has been working as a carpenter for four years. Photo / SydneyChippyChick/Instagram
While her current employer is great and doesn't treat her any differently than her male colleagues, she still has to deal with a number of clients who are shocked when a woman turns up on their doorstep to complete a job.
She usually starts her day at 5am, picks some materials up along the way to the job site and when she arrives, she gets to work.
Most of Madi's work involves installing and framing skylights and some domestic renovations, though she is looking forward to new opportunities to work on home extensions and additions.
So, while her day-to-day responsibilities don't differ from her male colleagues, she is also forced to deal with condescending and sexist behaviour while on the job.
She uses social media to share her experience as a woman in trade. Photo / SydneyChippyChick/Instagram
Madi said she is definitely treated differently because she is a woman and often feels that people expect her not to be good at her job or to need help completing the work at hand.
"I commonly get asked 'When are the boys showing up?', 'Are you actually getting on the roof?', 'Do you need a hand carrying that?', and 'Are you the cleaner?'" the carpenter revealed.
"However, once I work with clients or other tradies regularly and they realise I am capable, they treat me equally."
The tradie isn't shy about exposing the constant sexism she and other women in the industry face, using her Instagram and TikTok accounts SydneyChippyChick to raise awareness about this issue.
In one of her recent TikToks, she revealed some of the things men have said to her since becoming a carpenter.
"Are you on your period again?", "Will you go on a date with me for money?", "I don't know if you will be able to keep up", "Are you here to make the coffees?", and "Why don't you smile more?" are all comments people have made to her.
Madi says she has had to deal with constant sexism because of her career choice. Photo / SydneyChippyChick/Instagram
But there are some interactions that stand out more than others, with Madi recalling a case of "extreme sexism" she encountered last year with a client.
"I arrived at a client's house and was refused entry for being a woman. Can you believe it?" she said.
"The client wanted to speak to my male colleague and ended up contacting my employer saying they were upset and were expecting a man to install their skylight, not the receptionist."
Madi's employer defended her and confronted the client over their sexist attitude, for which the chippy said she was very grateful.
She said it was a "sad reality" that sexism is continually present in her line of work and she has been forced to learn to deal with it.
"I believe that sexism is an offensive reminder of the way our culture sees women and the societal norms we have been taught. There is nothing wrong with women working in the trade," she said.
Another woman who knows some of the difficulties women working in trade have to face is Stef Apostolidis.
The 32-year-old has been working in the industry for nine years. She had been working in an office for five years when she decided she wanted to be a builder like her father, so she started an apprenticeship in carpentry.
Stef says she loves what she does, though admits there have been times throughout her career when she has been treated as if she "didn't know what she was talking about".
Stef has worked as a tradie for nine years. Photo / MelbourneChippyChick/Instagram
The Melbourne woman also shares her tradie journey online through her social media pages MelbourneChippyChick, having attracted more than 157,000 followers on Instagram.
Stef has had many instances online where people feel the need to comment on her career choice, with some people even feeling the need to make comments when they see her doing her work in person.
"A bystander said 'you're to pretty to be a tradie'. You don't have to look like anything to be a tradie," she said.
Stef said she has also had an incident where a colleague was acting inappropriately and when she made her displeasure known he tried to play it off as a joke and put his hand on her shoulder.
"I asked him not to touch me, he then did it again," she said.
The carpenter is hugely encouraging of supporting women in trade and has founded the Tradie Lady Club (TLC) to help women in the industry support and inspire each other.
"Tradie Lady Club represents women who are in the trade business and support other women who desire to do the same," the website reads.
"My goal as the founder of TLC is to create more career opportunities for women that can change their lives."
Despite the challenges that come along with the industry, Madi also wants to encourage every woman that is interested in picking up a trade to do so.
She said it is normal to have doubts that maybe the work will be too hard or concerns about how you will be treated โ but she said there is just one basic question you need to ask: Would I enjoy being a tradie?
"If yes, then go for it! Start your trade journey! You'll learn on the job, you'll increase your strength and fitness, and most importantly, you'll be enjoying what you do," Madi said.
She advised anyone who experiences a poor work culture or lack of training when starting a trade to change workplaces and not to give up on their dream.
Madi said there are also simple things employers can do to make working in a trade as a woman more inviting and comfortable.
"The main way workplaces can be improved for women in trades is sanitary bins. All women menstruate and they need to be able to dispose of feminine hygiene products," she said.
Shockingly, Madi said she has never encountered a single job site that has access to a sanitary bin.
