Lady Mechanics: repairing gender equality in Nigeria

In a society where millions of women are held back from discovering their unique potential as a result of culturally embedded views on what it means to be female, the Lady Mechanic Initiative (LMI) is pioneering bold steps towards an equal society.

LMI is an inspiration to me because it isn’t just about reducing illiteracy and improving access to employment — it is about asking the controversial question of why marginalisation, vulnerability, and unemployment are so prevalent in the first place. LMI’s answer: a result of socially constructed gender inequality with a power preference to males.

With a commitment to overcome gender discrimination, poverty, illiteracy and the withholding of fundamental human rights, this radical organisation are providing women with free professional training to take their credible stand within the traditionally male dominated mechanics industry.

Women from vulnerable and often marginalised backgrounds are trained in automobile repairs, speedboat repairs, generator repairs, water pump installation and repairs, and the Lady Mechanic Drivers course. They receive industry-recognised qualifications, and the support and guidance to find jobs in this sector.

LMI have opened up a new cultural pathway for thinking about femininity, and therefore an opportunity to work towards equally shared power between women and men. I hope the seeds of this work give life to many more examples of power shared and individual potential released!

Click here to discover more about this inspirational and pioneering organisation: http://ladymechanicinitiative.org

What examples can you think of in your context where power is unequally shared because of views about gender?

First published July 2015