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Chinese repairwomen smash stereotypes with power tools
🇭🇰 Hong Kong /Culture & Society

Chinese repairwomen smash stereotypes with power tools

From Hong Kong Free Press · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • A growing number of women in China are taking DIY and maintenance courses, challenging traditional gender roles in male-dominated fields.
  • Organizations like Mulan Build and 38fix offer all-women workshops in cities such as Hangzhou and Shanghai, responding to a desire for self-sufficiency and safety among women living alone.
  • These initiatives reflect a shift away from gendered job expectations, empowering women to handle household repairs independently and fostering smoother communication regarding home services.

The clang of pliers and the scent of sawdust fill workshops across China as women increasingly embrace DIY and home repair skills. Once considered strictly a man's domain, fields like electrical work and basic maintenance are seeing a surge in female participation, driven by a desire for self-sufficiency and safety.

People are moving away from the traditional mindset that certain jobs must be tethered to a specific gender.

— Chen NingThe 27-year-old founder of Mulan Build discusses the changing societal views on gender and work.

Organizations like Mulan Build in Hangzhou and 38fix in Shanghai are at the forefront of this movement, offering all-women courses that empower participants to tackle household fixes independently. Chen Ning, founder of Mulan Build, notes a societal shift away from traditional gendered job expectations. "People are moving away from the traditional mindset that certain jobs must be tethered to a specific gender," she told AFP.

This kind of empowerment can be passed on to the many women living alone today, helping them handle minor household fixes completely on their own.

— Zhang XuefenA student at the Mulan Build workshop shares her perspective on the benefits of learning repair skills.

For many women living alone, these skills offer more than just practical solutions. Student Zhang Xuefen highlighted the empowering aspect, stating that it's "not just a guy thing." Others, like Xu Leran, pointed to safety concerns and smoother communication as key benefits of having female technicians available. "With a woman technician I would definitely feel much more at ease, and communication would be smoother too," she said.

With a woman technician I would definitely feel much more at ease, and communication would be smoother too.

— Xu LeranA 26-year-old student explains the safety and communication advantages of female technicians.

The demand for such training is evident in the fully booked workshops and month-long backlogs reported by companies like 38fix. Founder Kale Li was inspired to start her company after experiencing unreliable handymen, only to find herself in a male-dominated engineering course. Her question, "Where were all the women?" now resonates with a growing community seeking to break down gender barriers in skilled trades.

Where were all the women?

— Kale LiThe founder of 38fix reflects on her experience in a male-dominated engineering course, which inspired her business.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hong Kong Free Press. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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