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Written by Jude Herr
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Tuesday, 15 January 2008 |
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I have to say, growing up in Buffalo, NY with a dad who was a
contractor, I was quite sheltered from the fact that "most women do not
use power tools". I really had no clue that there was an kind of sex
discrimination in the contracting or power tool world. Naive me, all
that I heard about was how my Aunt Ronny helped my dad put the roof on
our house and my Aunt Marge was refinishing all the woodwork in her
home. I guess I am lucky because I was brought up thinking that as a
woman, there wasn't anything I could not figure out how to fix or
remodel or any power tool I could not use. When I bought my first
condo, my dad brought me a suitcase full of power tools on his first
visit.
My view of reality and discrimination has broadened but luckily my
sense of "being able to fix anything myself or use power tools" has
stayed the same. I am surprised when power tool manufacturers put out a
line of power tools specially designed for women. Personally, I would
never purchase a pink tool - or one to fit a woman's hand. I really
just want the best quality tool for the job. There are small men who
use tools.
I get it though. I have many girl friends who don't even know how to
hang blinds or even own a hammer for that matter. There are many women
who weren't as fortunate to have the upbringing I did, and the dad I
did and did not learn how to use power tools. I have my Real Estate
license in Colorado and have helped many of my single women friends
purchase their first home, on their own. With more and more women
owning homes, there is a definite need to cater to women in the DIY and
Home Improvement field and I am all for it.
Articles like Ms. Fix-it in the Wall Street Journal
state that "Home Depot has introduced "Do It Herself" clinics for women
interested in learning how to use a stud finder; the classes are
evidently a success since, as NPR has reported, in some locales the
store is becoming known as a hot singles spot. Even schoolgirls are
joining the revolution. The Girl Scouts now offer a Ms. Fix-It badge
for members eager to learn how to rewire a lamp or fix a leaky toilet,
and an outfit called Vermont Work for Women has introduced a summer
program called Rosie's (as in Rosie the Riveter) Girls promising hands
on instruction in the skilled trades."
It's these types of informative articles and the paradigm shift that is
happening in our society that will change the google search for "women
and power tools" from porn to practical.
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