Coming out of a period of isolation is a uniquely daunting experience. When you feel “out of step” with society, the world outside can feel miles away.
Studies show that many people experienced “social disorientation” after long periods of isolation. While in the working world, one UK survey found that loss of confidence when returning to work is almost twice as prevalent for women.
For Charlie, this confidence gap felt even wider with compounding systemic barriers that started at school. Having never been offered subjects like Design Technology in favour of ‘softer’ skills, she was never given the tools to trust her own abilities.
So, when she was returning from a period of isolation later in life, she wasn’t just rediscovering her social confidence. She was also dealing with the effects of being made to feel incompetent from youth.
After recovering from her period of illness, Charlie was ready to get back out there and discover what she is truly capable of. The Women Construct Wales project was her reason to “get dressed and go outside”. Supported by a community that respected her pace, Charlie quickly realised that despite her early experiences, she was capable.
Q: You mentioned that the social side of the project was what first caught your eye. Why was that so important?
It’s so isolating if you’ve been unwell for quite a long time. You get out of step with other people and just being part of society. This, for me, has been a step in getting back into having a reason to get up in the morning and get dressed and go outside. I was interested in the social aspects—doing something in the community that can connect you better to the community.
Q: Why do you think projects like this matter for women?
Very often, women especially will think, “Oh, unless I 100% definitely know that I can do something, I won’t even try.” And I think that part of closing the gap is closing the experience gap. Closing the fear of messing up and learning that you can, in fact, learn a new skill and struggle while learning that skill and still, in the end, succeed.
Q: What barriers do you think women face accessing ‘male-dominated’ spaces?
Systemic barriers, for example, not having flexible workplaces for childcare or any other caring position, when overwhelmingly, women worldwide do the majority of labour. It’s not necessarily that anybody is sat there literally saying, “You’re a woman, you can’t do this”—although some of them are literally saying that! It’s not always that simple.
I think that the confidence gap is a big problem. Like in school, I was offered to do home economics and sewing. I was not given the option to do design technology. So I’ve grown up very anxious about power tools and drilling into a wall and hitting a power line or hitting a pipe. And these anxieties compound on each other.
Q: How has the project helped you navigate these anxieties?
The project works with me within my limitations. I’ve found “my people”,and I’m achieving things I thought I never could.
Q: What advice would you give to women who want to start something like this?
Don’t assume that you know what your two hands can actually achieve. Don’t assume that because you found things difficult before, that that means you can’t do it. You would be amazed at how quickly you can learn.
