So what trade skills does the WTS suggest for young women?
*** w79 4/1 pp. 10-11 Youths—Are You on the Road to Real Success? ***Christians have often found it advisable to take advantage of standard secular training available where they live. In America a high-school education is frequently of practical value.
Besides basic studies, such as mathematics, history and the language of the country where one resides, many schools offer courses in fields such as the use of tools and machinery, carpentry, electricity, auto mechanics, and printing. Girls can pursue domestic studies, typing and other secretarial skills, opportunities as medical assistants or other interesting and practical fields of work now open to women.
*** w75 9/1 p. 543 Questions From Readers ***In addition, the basic education offered by the secular state generally includes practical instruction in mathematics, history and health care. Many secular schools also offer additional training, such as in the use of tools and machinery, carpentry, installing of electrical equipment, car repairing, printing, local crafts, science studies, typing, music and languages. And for girls, they offer domestic studies and training in child care. In view of this wide range of studies available in many countries, teen-age boys and girls, under the direction of their parents, can work out a program of subjects to be learned that will benefit them later.
*** w71 6/1 p. 337 par. 13 How to Succeed in the Pioneer Service ***Those in school who are planning to pioneer do well to learn a practical trade such as stenography or carpentry—something that will provide part-time work, perhaps some skill that is needed in the area where they live. Some pioneer ministers do cleaning, painting, gardening, washing windows, selling, and so forth. Sisters may do typing, ironing, sewing, washing, baby-sitting.
*** w71 12/1 p. 733 Why Study in School? ***In many schools there are subjects that teach you the fundamentals of different skills. For young men, there may be courses in carpentry, installing electrical equipment, welding, accounting and others. Young women can take courses in homemaking arts such as cooking and sewing, as well as typing and secretarial work-
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Growing up it was never suggested to me or any young woman at the KH to learn to be a carpenter, electrician, plumber, auto mechanic; typing, dental assistant, etc., was the proper job for a woman. I remember a sister whose family had a construction business and she worked along the men in her family, all jws, doing carpentry, roofing, drywalling, etc. But when it can time to do a KH build, the other men would try to relegate her to the "kitchen" or cleanup work until her father said he wasn't going to have some unskilled brother go up on the roof when his highly skilled daughter was there. I have know concrete workers, electricians, bricklayers, that were all women who learned the trades before becoming jws that 80% of the time were shut out.
The GB and its helpers are so old and so far from the real world they have no idea that these jobs barely pay to support someone working FT. Only if they live with mommy and daddy until they get married and put their sights on some male jw with a big paycheck.
