We need your help!

The Problem

For centuries practical skills have been gatekept from women - they still are:

  • 99.86% of plumbers in Aotearoa are men

  • >97% of all trade workers are men

  • 18% gender pay gap in construction, double the national average

  • 37% of women leave apprenticeships due to poor workplace culture

  • Men make three times more ACC claims than women in trades

  • There is virtually no data on rainbow communities in trades

Our Solution

A world-first workshop exclusively for women and gender minorities:

  • Safe & Inclusive: Where our community can learn and build without fear

  • Hands-On Skills Training: From basic DIY, wood and metalworking, to pathways into trades

  • Community & Connection: A place to see yourself reflected in a community of capable peers

  • Tangible Empowerment: Building the resilience and self-sufficiency to shape the world around us

Cahoots Workshop

We’ve already achieved incredible results with minimal funding:

  • We built the entire workshop for under $45,000 demonstrating exceptional fiscal responsibility

  • >450 people were on our wait list before our doors even opened

  • We’re being funded by Te Pūkenga (BCITO) to develop member pathways to industry

  • In our first week we ran 29 trainings and onboarded 22 people

The Ask

We’re raising $50,000 in bridge funding to reach financial sustainability in 2026 so we can:

  • Continue onboarding core sustaining members

  • Deliver classes to our community

  • Begin trade training and apprenticeships in partnership with industry

  • Provide diversity trainings to industry organisations

  • Conduct research to support rainbow communities in trades

  • Develop a growth strategy to broaden our impact

Donate Now

Invest in a globally innovative grassroots organisation at this critical moment.

Download this page as a PDF