Gender doesn’t define a woman’s role in construction

The creation of “Rosie the Riveter” in the 1940s inspired women to leave their traditional domestic roles and join the male-dominated workforce in support of World War II. Today, “Rosie” reaches beyond the defense department and continues to inspire strength, sisterhood, and feminism. The number of women in male-dominated career fields continues to rise.

Violeta Melendez, a member of Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity's construction crew, tapes a window cutout to prevent water from seeping underneath the sheathing.

At Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GSHFH), gender plays no role in what women can and cannot do. Just ask Violeta Melendez, a member of the construction crew.

“I would definitely recommend other women venture into construction because, for me, it’s a form of art that just anyone, not only men, can do,” she said. “Plus, since we are building homes, I find it to be a great achievement when you can see the final product, look back and say, ‘I did that’ or ‘I helped build that’.”

Violeta came to Greater Springfield Habitat in January 2022 through a cooperative program with Springfield’s Putnam Vocational Technical Academy. During the second semester of her senior year, she rotated between a week at a build site and a week at school. Upon graduation, she accepted a position with GSHFH and works full time.

Violeta said she really enjoys construction because she can work with her hands and is not sitting at a desk job. Plus, at Habitat, she meets new people and is learning new things every day. But there are some challenges, including her height and Massachusetts’ weather.

“Some of the challenges of working in construction is the weather. The cold, in particular, is hard for me since I was born and raised in Puerto Rico,” Violeta said. “Also, I’m short. I can lift most things, but there’s other things where I just need help from my peers.”

Amy Calandrella, a past Habitat volunteer, has made her career in construction. Following a four-year apprenticeship program through the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 98, she is licensed and experienced in various pieces of heavy equipment, including a skid steer, excavator, fork lift, and paving apparatus. These days, she’s a full-time instructor for her union’s apprenticeship and continuing education programs.

She said she chose the trades because she was looking for a job that paid a living wage and offered skills she could build upon. Amy had previous experience with farm equipment.

“In my nine years in the field, I worked on college campuses, on rural road excavation projects, on highway and suburban milling and paving tasks, on parking garages and train tunnel repair, on rail upgrades, and river cleanup. Every job was a new adventure and new opportunity to learn a different application of my trade,” Amy said.

Like Rosie, Amy said she believes women belong in the trades.

“Remember, you are capable and have the ability to learn. There is nothing they can’t teach you,” she said. “Success in construction requires physical strength and dexterity as well as emotional and special intelligence, good planning, and communication skills. I think it’s good for women to see ourselves as able to use and build these skills.”

To learn more about GSHFH and volunteering opportunities, visit habitatspringfield.org. To learn more about becoming a tradeswoman, visit https://www.wmtradeswomen.org/become-a-tradeswoman