Samia Bokhari getting hands on with hardware.

AFTER three years working in the wings, women have a workshop to call their own in Stirling. 

In 2019 Stirling councillor Elizabeth Re moved that the council set up a workshop space for women similar to the council’s successful Men’s Shed.

In 2020 a pilot program offering female classes in skills like car maintenance, basic plumbing and furniture restoration were so popular even the waiting lists overflowed. 

Those were held in the Innaloo Sportsmen’s Club but there was a bit of disharmony as some of the older-fashioned sportsmen didn’t like having workwomen on their turf.

On March 8’s International Women’s Day a new space for women to get their tooltime was launched in a renovated workshop space at Scarborough Community Hub.

For phase one they’ll be sticking to guided skill-building workshops based on feedback during the pilot sessions.

Mayor Mark Irwin said in his IWD announcement: “The workshops were focused on expanding skills and knowledge rather than providing specific projects to work on.

“This demonstrated a clear point of difference compared to Men’s Sheds, which are very much focussed on developing skills and social connections through projects and delivering all activities within a single shed or easy to access space.”

Upskilling in sawing, drilling, and screwing are lined up for this month so far; times and bookings are via Scarborough Community Hub.

Women already well-acquainted with tools will continue to meet alternate Saturdays at the Balcatta Men’s Shed to use the heavy duty table-mounted tools.