Working in an industry dominated by the opposite sex

In the early days of her career, Gail Marshall was told a woman couldn’t handle a jackhammer or do heavy lifting.

After spending 30 happy years in the construction industry, it’s fair to say she’s proved them wrong.

Marshall started off in the same way as so many young people: a single mother simply trying to earn money to take care of her daughter.

The difference was that Marshall, who had always been intrigued watching masons create something out of nothing, decided to try her luck in an industry dominated by the opposite sex.

There were doubters among her male colleagues in her first job as a subcontractor at the Hamilton Princess.

“They saw the jackhammer and said, ‘Oh, you can’t handle it,” Marshall says.

“I proved them all wrong. I did it. I did it better. One of the guys tried to handle the jackhammer and he didn’t last 15 minutes. He quit. I ended up doing the work myself.”

Marshall quickly learnt that by showing a good work ethic – and taking no nonsense from the men – she was able to earn respect and carve out a successful career.

She became a superintendent at construction firm BCM, running all the jobs in the field and dealing with disciplinary action, and worked on numerous major projects including the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital rebuild, Bermuda airport, Washington Mall, the AS Cooper building, Sandys 360, Ariel Sands, the Team Oracle base at the America’s Cup and many more.

Now 54, Marshall is a co-owner of Atlantic Millwork & Maintenance carpentry shop in Pembroke, where she combines management and business skills with old-school tasks like woodburning.

During the past three decades, Marshall has been pleased to see more women enter the industry.

“Today, there’s a lot of women – I think that’s great,” she says. “I think the women know if you put your mind to it, it’s not just a man’s world. It takes a lot of dedication and sweat and tears. But if you are strong, you can do it.”

In addition to sexism, Marshall has had to contend with homophobia.

“Being a gay woman, you get that thrown at you,” she says.

“It never fazes me. I love who I am. I’m not afraid of what people think. I don’t care what people think. That doesn’t pay my bills.

“You have got to learn to hell with people. They don’t make you happy at the end of the day.”

One of her fondest memories is the time large kites went on display at Bermuda airport while Marshall and her team were on site. Among them was one proudly displaying a rainbow design.

“My guys said, ‘We need you to come outside and see this. This kite is for you.’ They just loved it,” she recalls.

“There are so many young guys that call me mom and show me the utmost respect. My respect was always there for them. I tell them the only thing I expect from you is respect.”

Marshall is thankful for the opportunity she received from Mike Ewles and Alan Burland at BCM, and furthered her chances by undergoing every course going at Bermuda College, from masonry to health and safety.

“You have to make sure you’re qualified, and you have to love your work, no matter what you do,” she advises.

“You get a sense of pride just by knowing you are doing what the guys do. Nobody’s given me a handout. I worked with a jackhammer, from the bottom, all the way up.

Her advice to any young women thinking about joining the construction industry?

“Like Nike says, just do it. Follow your dreams. Don’t be discouraged. Believe in yourself. Take pride in what you do and take time to learn new skills. If you do that, you will be set for life. One day you will have your own company.”