A 22-year-old female plumber has shared the ‘hurtful’ reality of what it’s like to work in a male dominated industry.
Lainie Paterson has opened up about the ‘oversexualised’ comments she receives from customers and the one offensive remark she’ll never forget.
The plumber, from Phillip Island in Victoria, admitted customers are ‘normally very shocked when a young blonde rocks up on their doorstep’.
Also known on social media as Plumber Gal, Lainie turned her hand to the skill when she was just aged eight, by helping out her dad, who is also a qualified plumber.
Opening up on her experiences in the industry, she admitted that working in a job where male customers are not expecting to see a young woman turn up can be difficult.
‘Don’t get me wrong, there’s a good percentage of men out there that are supportive and encouraging and really want you to do well,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘But there’s others that make you feel belittled.. that you’re not good enough or strong enough to be in this position.
‘I’ve had people tell me “you need to sweep and clean up you’re a woman”, I’ve had photos taken of me on job sites which is highly uncomfortable.
Lainie Paterson, 22, (above) first starting plumbing with her dad when she was eight-years-old
The 22-year-old has almost 42,000 followers on TikTok and over 24,000 followers on Instagram where she goes by the moniker ‘Plumber Gal’ (pictured)
‘I’ve had people comment on the way I look constantly and catcalling constantly. There’s always someone who says something.’
Lainie admitted that as she’s got older the catcalling and inappropriate behaviour has ‘slowed down a bit’ but there’s ‘still a handful doing it’.
The 22-year-old has amassed almost 42,000 followers on TikTok and over 24,000 followers on Instagram where she shares videos showcasing her working day.
Lainie said she wants to ‘encourage and support other female tradies and plumbers’ but has been left ‘hurt’ over the ‘very sexualised’ comments from men.
‘I’m posting for support and showing what I do as a job because I think it’s pretty cool. To see people commenting [sexualised] stuff is a bit of a slap in the face but you also learn to block it out,’ she said.
‘I’m one of those people that if someone speaks down to me then I’m going to be better than that and beyond that.
‘It hurts to see and it’s a shame that people are seeing me as [sexualised] when that’s not the case at all.’
Although the 22-year-old enjoys sharing her working life online, she admitted she holds back on sharing her other passions for fear of backlash.
Lainie admitted that as she’s got older the catcalling and inappropriate behaviour has ‘slowed down a bit’ but there’s ‘still a handful doing it’
Lainie said she can earn up to $150 an hour as a plumber (pictured)
‘I love my fashion, I love beauty, I’m really into my appearance [but] I feel like I can’t post the small things like that from my life on TikTok because I’m worried they’ll say, “Oh this chick is fake”,’ she said.
Lainie, who has launched her own plumbing business, said a qualified plumber can earn between $80 to $110 an hour where she lives on Phillip Island.
This figure can go up to $150 an hour in Melbourne.
Lainie’s dad is proud of her for wanting to encourage other women to join the trade but struggles with some of the offensive comments on her social media.
‘I’m his little girl so it’s obviously hard to see,’ Lainie said.
