Before I begin, welcome to the first In Her Hands podcast! My name is Georjie, founder of the In Her Hands project, and I will be the host of the conversations your hear. This podcast series will aim to have insightful and inspiring conversations with women and other gender marginalised folk across all spectrums of the building world, exploring the journeys, challenges and joys of building with our hands.
Episode 1 is all about Boat Building! I visit Clementine Mollier at the boat yard she works in and we discuss the joys and challenges of wooden boat building, and how she got there! Then, Belinda Joslin from Women In Boat Building paints a picture of gender diversity in the boat building trade and discusses how mentoring and community support can uplift women on the shop floor.
Clementine was born and raised in Marseille, France, and always had a strong affinity for making and building. After travelling for 8 years and living in 4 different continents, she wanted to translate her interest for making into a profession. She found out about a boat building course and enrolled, combining her love for building with her love for the sea. She was hired shortly after by the Elephant Boatyard in Hampshire, UK, where for the past 4 years she has been working to restore and build new classic wooden boats. The role always provides new challenges which Clementine finds engaging and rewarding.
Belinda is the founder of Women in Boatbuilding CIC, which supports and connects women working in boatbuilding and all related marine trades. She grew up sailing wooden boats she helped her dad to build on the East Coast, and still sails on the River Orwell. Boatbuilding (and sailing) is male-dominated, so by showcasing role-models and providing a platform for the diversity debate, WIBB aims to encourage women to join and stay in the industry, and enjoy the fulfilment of working in practical, hands-on roles.I hope you enjoy, and please reach out with any feedback if you're a podcast nerd!
Additionally I am on the radar for more women and all other gender marginalised folk in the building trade or craft who would enjoy having a good chin wag with me about what they do, and in turn, hopefully inspire anyone listening! Welders, plumbers, timber workers, you name it, let's chat!