It's not so much about physical strength. You need to have strength of character and the desire to pursue the passions of the heart. Because women can!
Kim Halbert-Pere established Handy Girl in 2007. She was living in a rural community, renovating her own home. She wanted to encourage other women like her to build the confidence to do DIY.
'We want to see more women working in construction and trades. We want to see more women leading in non-traditional roles.'
Supporting women to take up the tools
In 2015, Kim partnered with Bosch Australia to form Handy Girl Australia(opens in a new window). She runs a home maintenance company most of the time. She also runs workshops to build confidence around DIY, renovation and building projects.
Kim said she hoped to fill a critical gap in traditional handyman business models.
'Often the unsung heroes of handyman services are the women who help run the office or do the books.'
'We worked hard to create a business model that encourages and supports women to take up the tools. To be their own boss. More importantly, we give the community confidence to use women to do their handy work.'
Equality is important and gender shouldn’t be the defining factor in determining what women and girls should do.
'Important characteristics for our handy girls are creativity, resilience, problem-solving skills and willingness to apply knowledge. These are skills-for-life!'
'When women pick up tools and do non-traditional jobs around the home, we are changing the way our children see the world they live in.'
Visit the Handy Girls Australia(opens in a new window) for more information and to watch some videos about handy women.
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