| By :
Martin Hofschroer
An increasing number of women are enrolling on DIY courses during the current economic climate in order to assert their independence. A study by B&Q revealed that three quarters of women surveyed said they would be more likely to undertake DIY in the economic downturn because they wanted to avoid paying large sums of money for a tradesman. More women are rolling up their sleeves and learning household maintenance skills on weekend plumbing courses so that they do not have to conform to stereotype and rely on men to perform manual DIY tasks. Women are taking charge of the DIY because many are worried that their partner's efforts will cause more damage than good and decrease the value of a property and invalidate home insurance. The environment could also benefit from more women performing DIY as a number of experts have said that females make more of an effort to use sustainable materials in comparison to men. Sian Berry, author of Mend It! , told The Ecologist that women who learn practical skills on green energy courses and carpentry courses are more likely to be concerned with the environment. She told the publication: "If there are more people out there taking charge of their homes this kind of mindset is very closely related to the kinds of things that the green movement wants people to be doing on a local level." DIY devotees have said that completing projects around the home has given them great personal satisfaction and has given them an outlet to express their creativity. "It's all about being practical and using your hands when a lot of us have jobs that involve sitting in front of a computer all day. Doing practical stuff with real people is good for your soul," added Ms Berry. DIY expert Andy Gerrard supports Ms Berry's suggestion as he told The Ecologist that women feel more confident asking about energy saving technologies once they have completed weekend plumbing courses and plastering courses. Collette Dunkley, from Chix and Mortar, also told the Ecologist that women on DIY courses are more likely to take an interest in materials and be environmentally aware. She said: "Women on the courses ask about environmentally friendly paint and what kind of wood is hardwearing and comes from sustainable forests." Women should not be deterred from taking DIY courses as all good training centres will provide an environment that caters to people of all abilities and experience.
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