Women Can’t Build
Should there be a law against letting a woman lose with a hammer and a nail gun? Are there some things a woman should just not be allowed to do? Habitat for Humanity Toronto is Hostessing a Women’s Build. Will it ever be successful?! Gosh, I just don’t know, deary. Are women possibly qualified and up to the task? Are we all just good homemakers with dreams of sub-flooring, or is there any potential for Rosie the Riveters amongst us?
Let’s take a realistic look at this: I HAVE volunteered with Habitat for over two and a half years. I DO KNOW that there are Fashionista groups out there. But there are also dedicated groups of women (and co-ed groups) where there are women who are at least intelligent, if not also competent, and hardworking. I also know that even professional tradeswomen bring something men don’t to a jobsite. Some say that is common sense; some say that is good housekeepingp; some say that is good organizational skills. They are all right. I will now attempt give an example of the range of different types of women who may be at this build:
Just this past August, I Crew Led a group of women from the Head Office of a fairly reputable fashion company in Toronto. They could hardly bloody well put up ONE bloody section of party wall ALL DAY, and most of them “just weren’t getting it” in terms of crowning studs … ummm, I could comment there, but I won’t … There are crews like that. I am not even sure if they really wanted to be there. One of those corporate Fashionistas even had the “brains” to say, and I quote; “Oh my God, I’m sweating like a man!” as if this was the worst thing that could possibly happen to her. I was speechless. I was floored. After all my years as a girl and a woman playing hockey, for example, and I had no idea I was in fact “sweating like a man” out there. I never knew what it was like to be “sweating like a man”. What is it like, then to “sweat like a woman”? I couldn’t bloody well believe that stupidity, and the unproductiveness that was that day.
There are also well-intentioned women who have just never used a hammer before, but who are actively willing to learn; to not just giggle about their nails, but drive in 10d common nails instead. I have helped some of them, too. They may have their mind in the right place, and be determined, but it takes them over 60 swings to sink a nail flush to the wood. It takes me between 10-18 hits, depending on how awkward the angle and position of the nail is, and whether or not I am toe-nailing, too! So these women will take longer to get the work done, but they are still going to get the work done.
And THEN there are women like those in the TPS who will be gracing the Build with their presence. They have also been doing their own fundraising for the event. There are women who are damn serious about learning to read blueprints, and contributing to carpentry (even if they would rather do finish carpentry, and politely would rather refuse to have a hand in rough carpentry). There are women who I am intimidated by before I even walk onto the site; because I know that the teams they make will be so solid they will kick everyone’s ass out there, and this Build isn’t even about that. They will just do it without even trying, because when they focus on something, they WILL get it done. I have seen groups like that as well. Their power, strength and energy are dangerously wonderful to witness, and they have my respect and admiration!
I believe that there will be some Crews who will need “extra help” as it were, but I think we are enough up to the task to make some progress on building these 6 homes. After all, women aren’t called Home Makers for nothing, and we are capable of doing a little more around the house than washing dishes.
