(Ecofin Agency) – In Ghana, women remain in the minority in the construction sector. Despite the stereotypes, Iddrisu Kande chose to venture into aluminum carpentry. His company, Marouf Aluminum Fabrications, participates in the fight against unemployment.
In Ashaiman, a town in Greater Accra, Ghana, Iddrisu Kande, a craftswoman and entrepreneur, has carved out a place for herself in construction, a sector generally dominated by men. His company Marouf Aluminum Fabrications (MAF) offers aluminum frames for sliding doors and windows, slatted windows, balustrades, projection windows, partitions and hinged doors among others.
Previously, Iddrisu played soccer. Her brother convinces her to turn to another vocation after an injury during a match, and helps her to get into aluminum carpentry. It approaches local manufacturers for training, but has to face their refusals or hesitations.
« The apprentices told me that they were not convinced that their employer was going to accept me, that they had never seen a woman in this trade », She explains to the Commission for Technical and Vocational Educational and Training (TVET Ghana).
In Ghana, women are making great efforts to integrate into local trades. As in many other countries, they are under-represented in the construction sector. Only about 3% of workers in this sector are women, according to a study by local media Align Platform in 2020. For reasons, the stereotypes, perceptions and societal norms which want women to turn to less difficult jobs.
Women are also concerned about the long-term repercussions of such hard work on their femininity.
« This is a serious problem for young women who believe that the loss of their feminine characteristics will make it more difficult to find partners for marriage. ».
Profitable and with a high demand for labor, this industry is nevertheless an important provider of jobs. The increasing demand for skilled items for construction work gives women a chance to access meaningful positions, but in a patriarchal society they have yet to demonstrate that they can take on such a career.
Iddrisu Kande is a female artisan and founder of Marouf Aluminium Fabrications, a venture that deals in sliding doors, louvre windows, and swing doors.#yennewshttps://t.co/3ATme236oB
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The dubious perception of the capacity of women to work in the construction sector has an impact on the profitability of their activity. Some of them reported that customers expressed doubts when giving them contracts. Iddrisu Kande admitted having had a lot of difficulty making his way through aluminum joinery.
« When my colleagues made mistakes and I wanted to correct them, they would ask me to go away, thinking that I wanted to prove that I knew the job better than them, and that pissed them off. Later I started my own business and it is flourishing She added.
Today, Iddrisu Kande is self-employed and employs 3 men. She also trains others in this profession, thus contributing on a small scale to job creation in her country. Now, she calls on parents not to impose restrictions on their daughters, convinced that they can build their careers in trades labeled “male”.
Aïsha Moyouzame
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