TWO female painters have revealed they always get the same reaction when they turn up to jobs - and it's not a welcome reception.
Ashleigh Cleghorn and Carli Carnegie say they're usually greeted with a blank stare, an "up and down" look and then a misogynistic comment.
The women, who are both in their 20s, say they've "heard it all" since working amongst tradespeople.
Ashleigh told News.com.au: “There is nothing that really shocks me anymore to be honest.
“When I first started I wanted to give up every day, I really had to prove myself to be respected.
You’ve been shaving your legs wrong - my way's faster & gets them smoother
“Many men, especially older ones, are stuck in their ways and still think it is a man’s world."
The painter of seven years said it wasn't until she started working with Carli that she realised how bad the comments flying around were.
She continued: “When I saw it happening to someone else, that is when I started to call things out more than before and I’m now fighting to raise awareness.
“We need more women in this profession, and it is time for these attitudes to change.”
The New Zealand women said they reflected on they way they were spoken to, and Ashleigh added: “You feel like a piece of meat sometimes.
“We get sexist comments, we’re stared at like we’re aliens, men shout things at us and wolf whistle.
“We’ve learned not to wear our high-vis shirts to places like the supermarket or you will get the strangest looks like you’re from another planet.
“Even comments like ‘is that your boyfriend’s high-vis?’ or ‘you should leave this type of work to the men’ really annoy us.”
Although Carli hasn't been in the industry as long, she said she'd already been shocked by the comments directed at her.
The painter said: “We do get quite a lot of looks and people looking at us up and down.
I’m a nutritionist & here’s my easy weight loss recipe perfect for pizza lovers
“Going on a break, we will always get stared at or even wolf whistles.
“It is honestly a different world out there, it is like they’ve never seen a female in their lives.
“We both love that we can show people up and prove that we aren’t just two little ‘pretty girls’, but we actually are tradespeople."
Many women across the globe have opened up about working in male-saturated industries.
A 21-year-old electrician said she was recently told she's "too pretty" for her job - but she doesn't care.
Another construction worker opened up about how men don't like taking orders from her.
