This young woman left her secretarial work to become a mechanic

Many young women continue to challenge career stereotypes by venturing into fields traditionally dominated by men, and Nana Afua Adusei is one of them.

Adusei, who started her career as a secretary at an automotive company, never planned to become a mechanic.

But what began as an attempt to keep a workshop running in her employer’s absence eventually turned into a career she has embraced for years.

“I joined as a secretary. My job was to just send emails, receipts, invoices, call for people to pay their bills. That was it,” she said during an interview on the BYou Podcast hosted by broadcaster Berla Mundi.

She said her interest in vehicle repairs grew after she noticed that the owner of the company would lock up his workspace whenever he travelled, leaving the business unable to serve customers.

That did not sit well with Adusei, who decided she needed to understand the work being done at the workshop.

“As a Christian, we know that we are custodians. So this is where my religious side kicked in like, no, I need to step in, get to know the craft so that when customers come in, I can deliver,” she said.

She began asking questions, researching online, watching YouTube videos and learning from the mechanics at the workshop.

What started as curiosity and a desire to keep the business running eventually developed into a profession.

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But learning how to repair vehicles was only part of Adusei's challenge. She also had to navigate a male-dominated environment and come to terms with how society viewed her as a woman working as a mechanic.

“It took me to not to learn the trade but to accept that I am a woman and people will see me differently,” she said.

Adusei said it took about six to seven years for her to become fully comfortable in the environment.

Her experience eventually inspired the creation of the term “Shikanic”, a name derived from “she” and “mechanic”, while also playing on the phrase “she can”.

“Anytime people call me Shikanic, like yes, I can do it. It's a reminder that I can do this. I've set myself to do something, I can do it. Nothing can stop me,” she said.

What began as a name associated with her has since developed into a broader community for women pursuing technical and vocational careers.

“This is not a one-person thing. It is a movement,” she said.

Adusei said women within the empowerment community work in diverse fields including mechanics, plumbing, carpentry, vehicle spraying, air‑conditioning technology, barbering, and security.

She said she has deliberately created opportunities for other women to step forward rather than making the movement solely about her.

Her advocacy stems partly from the resistance some women face when they choose careers traditionally regarded as unsuitable for them.

Adusei recalled that two women who started working with her in 2019 eventually left after facing opposition from their parents and partners.

According to her, some parents told the women that working around engine oil and engaging in hard labour could affect their ability to give birth, while some boyfriends objected to them working in environments where they interacted with men.

Adusei believes such attitudes are gradually changing as more women enter technical and vocational professions.

She also encourages women who face doubts about their abilities to use criticism as an opportunity to improve.

“When they doubt you, you just have to make sure, oh, okay, it's okay to doubt. Maybe there's something in there that I'm not doing right. How do I fix it? So, you go back and just improve,” she said.

Her interest in breaking career stereotypes has also extended beyond mechanics.

Adusei is currently studying petroleum engineering because she wants to understand the industry from within before speaking publicly about opportunities for women in the sector.

“I want to understand what is actually going on in the industry,” she said.

For young women considering careers outside traditional expectations, Adusei's advice is simple.

She has advised young women to identify what they are passionate about and find purpose in work that impacts others positively.

"Be curious. Stay curious. Don't ever stop learning,' she added.

JKB/EB

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