THE WORDS of popular Jamaican artist Shaggy’s song says, “Don’t you underestimate the strength of a woman”. This statement can be fittingly used to describe a woman who has demonstrated that there is no limit to a woman’s strength. Only a few days ago, women were internationally celebrated as the fight for equal rights and recognition in society continues. But this fight has certainly come a long way.

The right to be employed is now being enjoyed by millions of women across the world, but the right to be employed in vocational fields and to pursue non- traditional careers is something enjoyed by a lesser fraction of women, more so young women.

Malesha Gamble is one young woman who has proven that a woman’s strength is not only in her tongue or in her ankles to gracefully step into an office with heels, but a woman can also throw on overalls, wear steel-toed boots, cover her hands in dirt and do labourious work. This 28-year-old mother of one, who resides in the mining town of Linden, is the only female in her entire auto-electrician department at Bosai Minerals Group (Guyana) Inc.

Having to daily face colleagues who may ultimately see you as incapable of possessing what is needed to be an auto electrician is something Gamble described as ‘challenging’ but as the old saying goes, ‘a woman only falls if she wants to.’ Gamble has decided that she does not want to fall and continues to show her fellow male colleagues and supervisors that since she was a young girl, she wanted to pursue this vocational field and just as they have, she did too.

“I always like doing ‘man’ stuff. Growing up, I was like a tom-boy.I played football and so. I attended the Multilateral school and I chose to go into the Tech Stream. It was only four of us and since then I did a lot of electrical stuff and so on. After Multi, I attended the Linden Technical Institute where I completed the auto electrician course. I was then employed at Bosai as an apprentice and I got permanent afterwards,” Gamble said.

As a result of displaying excellent working skills, she was employed on a permanent basis and though she continues to be seen as ‘just a woman’, she goes to work every day with a renewed strength to prove that she can do it. “I try to see past all of those things and just do what I have to do, I am not given less work or treated differently, we all are given the same work so I just do what I have to do,” she said.

While she may have to put on the manly disposition at work, after a shift of 12 hours, she automatically transforms into a mother and wife-to-be. In the remaining 12 hours, she is tasked with looking after her son and her home and trying to catch a few hours of sleep. “It does be very hard on me,” she said.

When asked whether she has any regrets about choosing an unconventional field, she said no. “As an electrician, I don’t have to call anyone to do any of those stuff in my house or pay anyone or take anything to the workshop. I fix things myself and this saves me money and I am also able to help out in my community. I help persons to fix their stuff also,” she said.

For other young women who may want to pursue a similar field but may be discouraged by all of the challenges that come with it, Gamble encourages them to pursue their dreams and it will work out in the end. Though these skills take a lot more practise, it is all about determination and strength…..something that all women possess.