In a workshop in eastern China's Hangzhou, the sound of pliers clicking filled the air as a group of women practiced stripping wires under the guidance of a female instructor. This scene is part of a growing trend where Chinese women are taking up DIY and maintenance work, traditionally a male-dominated field.
Rise of All-Women Repair Groups
Nationwide, multiple all-women repair groups have emerged, including Mulan Build, which organized the Hangzhou workshop. Chen Ning, the 27-year-old founder, told AFP, "People are moving away from the traditional mindset that certain jobs must be tethered to a specific gender." Students carefully threaded wires into junction boxes, making circuits that lit up bulbs one by one.
Empowering Single Women
Student Zhang Xuefen, 42, noted that many of her friends have been "incredibly hands-on since they were kids," proving it was not "just a guy thing." She added, "This kind of empowerment can be passed on to the many women living alone today, helping them handle minor household fixes completely on their own." The single-woman household is a significant demographic in China, with falling marriage rates and increasing financial independence among women.
Student Xu Leran, 26, highlighted safety concerns: inviting a man into one's home can raise issues, but with a woman technician, "I would definitely feel much more at ease, and communication would be smoother too." Instructor Wu Shuang said the challenges facing women living alone are "a very real, objective issue." For a long time, "their voices have been ignored, and their needs have been overlooked."
Popularity of Workshops
The popularity of such courses was evident last month at a Shanghai workshop run by 38fix, named for International Women's Day (March 8). Noise and sawdust filled the room as dozens of students drilled through bricks and wood. Founder Kale Li told AFP she became interested after dealing with inconsistently priced and unreliable handymen in Chengdu. She signed up for an electrical engineering course and found her classmates were almost entirely men. "I thought it was very strange. Where were all the women?" Li said. Her company now has a monthlong backlog of orders, with workshops consistently fully booked.
Participant Yiling said she jumped at the chance to attend. In regular classes full of men, "you might experience a lot of microaggressions."
Barriers Remain
Despite growing interest, barriers persist. Chen of Mulan Build said, "It is incredibly difficult for women to break into the industry... and many who are already in it don't get the respect they deserve." Li of 38fix noted that her team often faces heightened scrutiny from customers, including women, who doubt their competence. Some job platforms explicitly state they do not accept female technicians, according to Wu, and women face more barriers to promotion. Mulan Build "sends a message: if these platforms choose to discriminate against us, we do not need to rely on them," she said.
Yang Mengchen, who leads an all-women repair and appliance cleaning team, emphasized the importance of women having the option to enter the profession. "It would make it much easier for women — especially those from rural areas or small towns — to come to the city and secure a viable career."
Signs of Change
Li said she looks forward to the day when 38fix is no longer "special," and there are signs this is already happening. Besides Mulan Build and 38fix, Diandian Home Solution, an all-women plumbing and furniture assembly service in Guangzhou and Kunming, boasts over 30,000 followers on Xiaohongshu, where it posts videos of its technicians. All-women cleaning companies are also broadening their skill sets. Liu Xingyun, founder of Shero, clad in pink and purple and wielding a pink power drill, deftly took apart an air conditioner during a recent home visit. "I don't want anyone to be limited by their gender. Whether they are girls or boys, I hope they can break free from the shackles of gender and do what they truly want to do."
