So, something crazy happened last week....
Michelle Neil, Red Seal Endorsement (RSE), came out to a Helga Wear health and safety share in Victoria, BC.
She resonated with the story behind Helga Wear and has actually been fighting to get women-specific covies (coveralls) into the fleet of gear offered at her workplace for seven years. Michelle has never given up, despite having been criticized for speaking up, and told things like ‘this is not a fashion show’.
The very evening I met Michelle, she went home and reached out to her network of women at BC Build Together Team, BC IBEW Women’s Committee, BC Tradeswomen’s Society and IBEW Local 230 Women's Committee, and spread the Helga Wear survey to the BC Tradeswomen Society; their response was IMMEDIATE!
Our survey Attention Hardworking Women of the World BLASTED off, past our goal of reaching 100 women, and when I say blasted, we went from 71 to 148 respondents in less than 48 hours!
Today we’re sitting at 154 completed surveys, these voices join the chorus of women desperate to be heard.
With the weight of these voices, we are approaching forward-thinking companies in trades industries to develop work attire specific to the women who are muscling through daily, wearing ill-fitting coveralls and overalls and personal protective equipment.
Barriers to full participation for women in the workforce that are linked to work attire really shouldn’t exist. It’s time we dig our steel heels in.
So accept this GIANT THANK-YOU, to all the women who took the few minutes out of their day to contribute to our survey.
-We will do great things with your data.
Jodi Huettner