Powered by women: Lineworkers

Kim Chakanetsa meets two women who bring electricity to communities in the US and New Zealand.

Maureen Miller is a listener from Wisconsin in the US who got in touch to tell us why she is so passionate about being a journeyman lineman. She talks about bringing power to communities devastated by hurricanes and floods and she tells us about the skills required to do this extremely dangerous work.

Laisa Pickering-Bryant is the first female distribution line mechanic at her company to work on live high voltage lines. She was born and raised on the Fiji Islands and she currently lives in Auckland, New Zealand. Laisa is also part of Connexis, a project training and mentoring women working in infrastructure.

Produced by Alice Gioia

(Image: (L) Maureen Miller, credit courtesy of Maureen Miller. (R) Laisa Pickering-Bryant, credit courtesy of Laisa Pickering-Bryant.)