Spotlight on Women in Trades: Nazmeyah Abid

Who is Nazmeyah Abid?

Nazmeyah Abid — a dedicated electrical apprentice with IBEW Local 804 who is carving her own path in the electrical trade. Combining a background in high school robotics with a practical approach to her career and future, Nazmeyah shares her journey on overcoming barriers as a woman on site, standing up for herself, and the critical importance of properly fitted, functional PPE for safety and performance.

⚡ Launching Straight into a Career

For Nazmeyah, entering the electrical trade was a smart, strategic move connecting her past experiences with long-term financial stability.

"I got an opportunity my last year of high school to get into the electrical union (IBEW 804). After going through the pre-apprenticeship program, I realized many skills of an electrician were very similar to the wiring knowledge I had from high school robotics," Nazmeyah shares.

With the current economic climate, jumping straight into an apprenticeship made complete sense:

"After some consideration, with the economy we have today, it made a lot more sense to launch straight into a career rather than take out student loans for a degree. Especially since these days you never know what jobs will still exist after your 4 years of school."

💪 Overcoming Barriers & Self-Advocacy

Working as a woman in a male-dominated field comes with challenges, but Nazmeyah turns those hurdles into opportunities for personal growth and empowerment:

Learning Self-Advocacy: "While you may show up to a job where things are not fair, it's a great opportunity to learn to self-advocate and stand up for yourself."
Knowing Your Worth: "At the end of the day, you're there to learn and work just like everyone else and you just have to remember you have just as much of a right to be there."

Her advice to other women thinking about entering the trades is straightforward and inspiring:

"I would say do it and do your best. You have no idea what you are capable of until you give yourself the opportunity to try. Every trade is so different therefore there are many different skill sets that may be for you. Speak up for yourself. If you're good at your trade, no one can take that from you."

🥽 The Workwear Struggle (And the Perfect Fit!)

Finding workwear that fits properly at 5'3" was a constant issue throughout the beginning of her career—and a real safety concern on site.

"I spent the first half of my apprenticeship drowning in a men's size small. I'm 5'3 so there weren't many options out there, and whenever a brand offered a woman's version, it was double the price. When your PPE doesn't fit it becomes a hazard to yourself and others around you. You can't do your best work if you aren't equipped with the proper gear."

👖 Nazmeyah's Favorite Features

After discovering The Dirty Seahorse, Nazmeyah finally found gear designed with women workers in mind:

Actual Fit: Gear that actually fits without being oversized or restrictive.
Heavy-Duty Pockets: "I feel like a lot of workwear brands are too big and don't cater to construction workers anymore. The pockets are never strong enough to hold my tools long term... The Dirty Seahorse has work gear equipped with more pockets that can actually hold all your necessary hand tools."
Built-in Knee Pads: "It's much easier to quickly go from task to task, not interrupting the flow of work, when you don't have to worry about putting on and taking off knee pads."