Cape Town - Levelling the playing field in forestry, women are being empowered to build sustainable careers as chainsaw operators in Knysna.
Forestry has historically been a male-dominated profession, and while women may work in a management capacity, there has been little opportunity for them to work in the field.
The driving force behind the empowerment initiative is Pam Booth, who heads up Knysna Municipality’s environmental planning.
Enabling more women to work in forestry has always been something that has interested her, but she previously never had the opportunity to turn this into a reality.
“A large portion of our departmental budget was being spent on buying and maintaining chainsaws, so I thought it was only fair to senior management and the operators to see for myself what was involved,” said Booth.
“This meant experiencing everything from buying the right model chainsaw to operating it and fixing it with the right parts and spares.”
Machine company Husqvarna has supplied the municipality with battery-operated chainsaws.
A chainsaw training course recently took place at a national Working for Water programme.
Booth and her colleagues, Nolubabalo “Babsie” Lufundo, who manages the municipality’s operational teams, and Beryl Poggenpoel became the first women to qualify as chainsaw operators in the region.
“Both Babsie and I are moms. She has twins and a young boy, I have a son and daughter, and I’m sure our kids are as proud as we are that their moms are able to do this type of work.
“Although we are not as physically strong as our male colleagues, we compensate for this by the way in which we handle a chainsaw,” Booth said.
“If we relied on our innate strength, we wouldn’t be able to cut for very long, so we have to exercise more control, which develops patience and a deeper appreciation of the power of the machine.
“I absolutely love the battery-operated chainsaw. I pick it up, switch it on and we’re ready to go. There’s no fuss. No fiddling with petrol mixes and no spillage. I also love that it makes so little noise. It’s so quiet and unobtrusive that I can even use it on a Sunday morning when I’m cutting firewood.
“Most of the young girls and women who see us operating a chainsaw are inspired to give it a try. I love to tell them they can also do it, earn a better wage and the respect that comes with operating a machine that is traditionally only operated by men.”
Cape Times