If you had asked fifteen-year-old me what it meant to be a woman, I probably would have shrugged.
It wasn’t something I thought about.
I genuinely believed I could do anything the boys could do.
Ride motorbikes? Absolutely.
Become a mechanic? Why not?
Work hard? Of course.
To me, being a woman wasn’t something that made me different. It wasn’t something I wanted to talk about. It certainly wasn’t something I thought needed celebrating.
Then life happened.
Sometimes Experience Changes Your Perspective
As I moved further into my apprenticeship, I started finding myself in situations my male apprentices weren’t experiencing.
I was being treated differently.
Not because of my skills.
Not because of my work ethic.
Simply because I was a woman.
At first, I couldn’t make sense of it. I kept thinking, “Surely this isn’t happening.” But over time, it became harder to ignore.
Around the same time, I also started stepping outside the community I had grown up in.
I’m a second-generation Australian, and I was raised in a close-knit Maltese community where life often followed a familiar path. The boys became tradies. The girls often worked in administration or retail before starting families. There is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing that path—it simply wasn’t the path I wanted.
The more people I met, the more I realised there were so many different ways to build a life.
And that was a really important lesson.
Finding Women Who Understood
One of the biggest turning points for me was meeting other women working in trades.
For the first time, I wasn’t the only one.
I heard stories that sounded like mine.
I realised the challenges I was facing weren’t isolated experiences.
They were shared experiences.
That changed everything.
It wasn’t about proving that women could do the job anymore.
It became about supporting one another through the challenges that often came with doing that job.
Sometimes, simply knowing you’re not alone is enough to make the next day feel a little easier.
Supporting Women Isn’t About One Day
Over the years, I’ve attended countless events celebrating women.
Some have been incredibly inspiring.
Others… not so much.
What I’ve learnt is that real support isn’t measured by one event, one speech or one social media post.
It’s measured by what happens on the ordinary days.
Do women feel heard?
Do they have opportunities to grow?
Are they supported when things get hard?
Do businesses back up their words with action?
Those questions matter far more than any single celebration ever could.
Because genuine support doesn’t happen once a year.
It happens every day.
There Is No Right Way to Celebrate Women
One thing I’ve become more comfortable with over the years is accepting that everyone experiences womanhood differently.
Some women love attending networking events.
Some prefer quiet conversations over coffee.
Some proudly advocate for change.
Others simply want to get on with their job without their gender being the focus.
All of those experiences are valid.
There isn’t one right way to be a woman.
There isn’t one right way to celebrate women.
There isn’t one right way to create change.
You get to decide what feels right for you.
Keep Growing, Keep Learning
When I look back at fifteen-year-old me, I smile.
She wasn’t wrong.
She simply hadn’t experienced enough life yet.
Today, I think differently because I’ve learnt more.
I’ve met incredible women.
I’ve experienced difficult workplaces.
I’ve had conversations that challenged my thinking.
And I’m sure, ten years from now, there will be things I believe differently again.
That’s part of growing.
We don’t have to stay exactly the same forever.
We’re allowed to learn.
We’re allowed to change our minds.
We’re allowed to see the world through a different lens as we gain new experiences.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a woman working in the trades, running a business, raising a family, studying, changing careers, or simply trying to figure out your next step, I hope you remember this:
Your path doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
Celebrate your wins, no matter how small.
Support other women where you can.
Accept support when you need it.
And most importantly, give yourself permission to grow into whoever you’re becoming.
Because the strongest women I know aren’t the ones who have everything figured out.
They’re the ones who keep showing up, keep learning, and keep making space for others to do the same.
I believe in you.
And I hope you never stop believing in yourself.
This blog is supported by EMU Safety.
“If you’re on the hunt for quality safety glasses, take a look at EMU Safety below. Their range is designed to help you stay safe, comfortable, and confident on the job.
Your support helps me continue creating free resources, blogs, and content for tradeswomen and industry.”
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