20
ASSOCIATIONS
Undermined because
of our gender
By Lorraine Mooi, IOPSA chairperson of the Transformation Committee
Lorraine Mooi, IOPSA
chairperson of the
Transformation Committee
Throughout history, men have always
underestimated the power of the women
around them – from women in their personal
lives to women in their professional lives,
women have always been seen as the weaker,
more timid gender. However, that perception
is changing as women across the world are
standing up and speaking up against gender
inequality.
Within in the plumbing industry we are gradually
seeing an influx of woman of all races entering the
trade, thanks to opportunities brought to the fore by
inclusive skills programmes supported by government
and private stakeholders alike.
With an increase in females entering a more male
dominated industries comes an increased awareness
of the challenges that women are facing, such as:
• Being undermined and overlooked within the
realm of plumbing and construction.
Lindiwe Takayi, trainee
plumber with Burgess
Plumbers, is one of many
female plumbers rising through
the ranks.
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
• Being asked, “Do you even know what part/tool
this is used for?”
• Being asked, “Are you sure this is what you are
looking for?” by a merchant.
• Being watched in shock or amusement.
@plumbingonline
@plumbingonline
All of these, especially while on a site, is a
challenge that women are facing daily, which
is why this is such an important conversation
to have.
As women, we will always have to work harder to
prove our worth, especially in an industry where
we make up 1.56% of the demographic. This
means that we need to work smart as only a
woman can. Our objective should be not to try and
beat the boys at their game but rather to mould it
to suit us. What we require from industry is to be
taken more seriously and stop the assumption that
this a ‘phase’ and eventually we will go back to
knitting. More and more women are entering the
construction sector due to a love of the sector and
knowing that they can bring a new perspective to
the sector.
The stats for training programmes show that the
majority of delegates are female: 53.6% female to
46.4% male. The majority of dropouts are males,
while the majority of females complete the training
courses.
It looks as if the 1.56% is slowly but surely
increasing. We will never have a 50/50 split
between men and women, but we will continue to
make our presence felt no matter our size. PA
@PlumbingAfricaOnline
November 2019 Volume 25 I Number 9