Women in DIY say online trolling only motivates them further

A growing number of women working in DIY, trades and home renovation say that online criticism and trolling directed at them because of their gender has, if anything, strengthened their resolve rather than pushed them away from the field, according to accounts gathered by the BBC.

Several female tradeswomen and DIY content creators described a pattern in which their competence is questioned publicly, often in comment sections beneath videos or photos of their work, purely because they are women working in areas such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical work or general home renovation.

Rather than discouraging them, many said the criticism has become a source of motivation, pushing them to document their skills more thoroughly and to build communities of like-minded women in the trades. Several described online platforms as double-edged: a source of harassment, but also a way to reach other women interested in entering historically male-dominated professions.

Industry figures cited in the reporting note that the number of women entering trades and DIY-related professions has been gradually increasing, even as the sector remains heavily male-dominated in most countries. Advocates argue that visibility, including through social media, plays an important role in normalizing women's participation in these fields.

The women interviewed said they hope that increased visibility will, over time, reduce the scale of gender-based criticism they currently face and encourage more young women to consider careers in the trades.