Breaking the barriers

There are careers where one would not expect to find a woman. For a long time, women were not involved in such fields due to social stigma, lack of training and cultural and religious limitations. Diana Namutebi talked to some of the women who have taken a bold step to get jobs in areas which were considered taboo.

Rose Nankabirwa, construction worker
After completing Primary Five, her father could not afford to send her back to school. That is when she decided to go and learn how to paint walls because it was more decent than other offers that came her way. The situation at home inspired her to work harder. “I even learnt other things like laying tiles, which are usually considered men’s specialities,” she says.

Nankabirwa advises women to look beyond the dirty clothes and mess they see on these jobs for the sake of their future.

Fatuma Nassali, electronics maintenance and repair
Nassali has always admired women in the electrical engineering business. In fact, engineering has always been one of her hobbies. When she completed Senior Four at Old Kampala SSS, she joined Nakawa Vocational Institute for a course in electronics and repair.

Although the field can be challenging for a woman, she stood her ground. “At first, people thought I could only do the theory part, but when it came to the practicals, my performance was impressive.” As a Muslim girl, Nassali says, some conservative people think she should join other professions, which can allow her to wear Muslim garb, not the overalls.

Rose Nankabirwa smoothens a wall in preparation for painting

However, she says she is comfortable in the overalls since they are not tight. Nassali says she is proud to be in the electrical repair field and she cannot be bullied out of it because it holds a bright future for her.

Miriam Mirembe, carpenter
When she lost her job, Mirembe became desperate and vowed to take on any job offer that came her way. That is when she joined carpentry. The male carpenters, whom she thought would bully her, ended up being her mentors. “They were willing to teach me because I was hard working.”

Mirembe says she is proud of being a carpenter because she can take care of her three children and stand tall among men. She hopes to start her own carpentry workshop soon.

Maria Nakafeero, electrical installation

Nakafeero grew up around men who were doing electrical installations and she picked interest in the job. However, she did not know how she could achieve her dream without having pursued a degree in electrical engineering, which she could not afford. Luckily, she joined a vocational institute where she is now finalising her course. She is determined to go all the way from class to work on sites.

Teddy Babirye and Rose Nakato, mechanical engineering and craft practice
These twins are finalising their craft practice course at Nakawa Vocational Institute. They took on the course because there were not many girls doing it since it involved a lot of metal work and measurements. Although it has not been easy getting to their final year, it is all worth it.

The twins say the biggest challenge for girls in this industry is that the stakes are high. Any small mistake results into the “I told you girls are not meant for this trade” rebuke. However, they have not lost hope because employers are willing to take on girls.

Nora Baluka, mechanic
“It is high time women who do not make it to higher levels of education stopped thinking only about being hairdressers, tailors and house helps. The jobs women consider to be men’s are not that complicated. Many women are missing out on good opportunities due to stereotypes. Baluku says women should learn to be more adventurous.