Trades have long been one of the most male-dominated corners of the Australian workforce, but that's shifting — slowly, but visibly. More women are training as electricians, plumbers, carpenters and painters, and a growing number are starting and running their own trade businesses rather than working as employees.
For homeowners, a more diverse pool of tradies simply means more choice — and for some customers, particularly those who feel more comfortable having a woman attend their home for a job, it matters directly. That's part of why we built a dedicated Women in Trades section into this directory: to make those businesses easier to find.
State builders' associations, including Master Builders Victoria and the Master Builders Association of NSW, run mentoring, scholarship and "women in building" initiatives aimed at improving representation in apprenticeships and trade ownership. At a national level, Master Builders Australia tracks industry-wide participation and workforce data.
Whether you're hiring a woman-run or man-run trade business, the fundamentals don't change — confirm the licence is current for the state you're in. Our guide on how to choose a licensed tradie state-by-state walks through exactly how to do that.
If that's you, we'd love to have you listed. Apply to be listed for free and let us know it's a female-run business when you apply — you'll automatically show up in our Women in Trades section, and you can always upgrade to a Featured spot later.