Hard Hatted Woman

"To tell our story. That one word means so much. It means to tell the story of our past, our struggle, our rise, our power, our strength, our success, our pride, our accomplishments, our family and our solidarity. Women need to hear this, most importantly, our little girls because they are the future." - Shanna Gillaspie

"I am a welder and a part of that measly 3% in the trades, and a film like this makes me feel more hopeful for changes to come. It is starting to slowly change, but, damn it sure would be nice to see more females out here. I cannot WAIT to see this film and to take everyone I know to see it too. The struggle is so very real and all we need to do is get more females out here." - Shannon Martini, Welder, Vancouver, WA

"Because I struggle every workday. I would and do feel more empowered when I learn about other women in the trades, battling and trail blazing." - Anonymous

"The younger generation needs to see for themselves that it is possible to do/make anything you want. To the little tomboys out there who have no idea what they want to be when they grow up, they need to see that it is possible to climb that new building the way they climb trees, and that it is not only okay to do those kinds of things, but it is possible to be one of those people who builds those structures. I would've been so inspired to see such a film at a young age. I grew up with summer vacations spent on a commercial fishing boat with my Dad and male cousins. I saw that as my future, until my Dad introduced me to welding, and that, my friends, is where it all began for me!" A Cyaltsa Finkbonner, Ironworker, Local 86, Washington

"Growing up, I was never told that blue collared construction work was an option. If someone had pointed out how fulfilling it is, things might have gone differently." - Blue Coble, Ironworker, Local 75, Phoenix, Arizona

"Because we need it to show women there are other options to provide a good life for themselves and for their children. How many single mothers could use a 7-3 job that makes good money and good benefits? Stop telling our daughters to be princesses when they can learn to take care of themselves." - Jamie Lynn, Ironworker, Local 40, New York City

"I've been in the business for 26 years. I've recently given talks to girls from grades 7 and 8 to teach them about the wonderful world of the trades, but it would be great if they could see a film with women doing the work, in all aspects of the trades. Then if they can see it, maybe they can be it." - Reno Ruth Wilford

"Because it will tell not only my story, but my children's stories. Not too many kids know what it's like to be raised by a 'hard hatted woman.'" - Christine Russell, Former IBEW Electrician

"As a woman that has been in construction for 27 years, having worked my way up from a laborers' helper to superintendent, I understand the struggles women go through. They need to know that this is an industry that benefits from women. They need to know to stand their ground and show their ability. And they need to know that they can achieve a fulfilling career in construction." - Pat Anderson

“When I started 13 years ago, I had no idea I was even allowed to work construction. I've been an inspiration to women around me, and this would be a wonderful movie to present to young adolescent females and get them interested in working in a skilled trade with the boys.” -Jessica Amato, Licensed Electrician, Connecticut

I am so excited to see this film being made. While my trade isn't "skilled" by most folks' definition (I work in the solid waste industry), I work at a university and am a member of the building services group responsible for maintaining, repairing, and constructing the buildings and systems within those buildings. I am a minority here. There is only one female technician out of hundreds--and she works for me. There are no female HVAC techs, welders, plumbers, carpenters at a university with a population of 40,000. I am the token female manager. I am actively advocating for more women in the trades and for working environments in which women feel safe, welcome, and valued. I work one-on-one and in group settings, putting myself out there, to set the expectation for language that is gender neutral -- so that we can move away exclusionary language such as "my men" or "lead men" to a future that envisions people of all gender identities working as crews, teams, and lead workers. Please, please keep working on this film and let me know when it is finished. I'll host movie day at work, provide the popcorn, and make sure as many people as possible watch. Then I'll wait and watch the ripple effect and hopefully will welcome and support more women as they bravely and confidently break the concrete ceiling! - BJ Tipton, Building and Facilities Services

"We live in a society that is full of what we are 'suppose to do'. We are suppose to finish high school, focus on one career, go to college or university, clean up, present in work pants and collared shirts, go after the gold watch, and lose sight of what is truly meaningful. As a woman who fell victim to 'suppose to' and graduated university at age 23 with a degree as a functioning alcoholic, I knew I was able to manipulate the 'suppose to'. Cleaned up and found that what I wanted to do, what was meaningful, was working with my hands and building a career. I did it, got my journeyman status by 28, but wondered how other women would fare without the same background. Why does a woman with a research background have so much trouble figuring out apprenticeship? Because physical mentors weren't/aren't around. So I started Women In Work Boots to promote the trades. I advocate for women who are business owners or who want to be entrepreneurs. I collaborate and connect with women in Canada who are part of organized labor movements. Women everywhere deserve insight, choice, freedom to work wherever they want, freedom to obtain a skill no matter what that is, and motivation and encouragement that their work is meaningful and serves their heart and soul, money to feed their children, and time off for whatever they want to do with it - without prejudice. Films like this one will show women that there is choice. That the story they've been told, the suppose to story, isn't all that there is." - Jill Drader, Founder/Ceo, Women in Work Boots, Toronto

"I've always been bright, and the world made it seem like I had to choose a career like engineering or science to use my gifts. I wasted a lot of time and money on college, only to find that I was miserable behind a desk, and that working with my hands is much more fulfilling. Everything in my life should have set me up for a successful career in the trades. I grew up next door to my grandfather's large structural steel and crane business and my father was a plumbing contractor. Yet somehow the trades always seemed off limits. When I finally got work as an ironworker during college, it was clear that I was never going back to engineering. The film is necessary to show other girls and women just how much joy and honor there is in building, and to save them from my mistakes." - Brianna Kufa, Ironworker

"I have many reasons why this film is important. As women in the trades, I feel our experience and stories provide mentorship to new women. This film will inspire women of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, featuring career alternatives without student loans or student debt. Women in the building trades will show this film to their daughters, who in turn, will tell their friends, changing the perception of role models in society." - Kathryn Brown, IBEW 46, Stockman and Installer, Washington

"Because I need to see other women out there. I feel like I am imposing on a field I am not supposed to be in. I need to see other women and how they deal with the challenges in this industry." - Robin Roub-Howe, Electrician, IBEW, Ohio

“There are so few women in the construction industry on the Isle of Man. We need films and documentaries like this to show young women what construction can offer and that it is an occupation for women in any country. I was always a practical person definitely not academic. I changed from an indoor career in health care to a career working with mobile cranes in my thirties. I have never been happier. If I had known I could have gone into construction work at school I would have grabbed the opportunity with open arms.” - Aileen Broad, Mobile Cranes and Crane Hire

“This film gives me hope and inspiration that we are that much closer to equalizing the construction field. I have been in construction for 3 years. The first year was for a company who had lots of women but it was really hard to "prove" yourself to get to a higher classification (Forman, lead, etc.). After that year I decided to go into the trades and graduated as an HVAC technician. Going on to job sites was very difficult, being the only woman out there, but it made me feel like I was making a difference showing that the trades are not just for men but for women as well. I hope all of us can keep pushing forward for Women in Construction. So that the future generations do not have to feel like they don't belong.” - Eliza Zapata, HVAC Tech