For Tahlia Williams, 31, painting and decorating was always the career she had her heart set on but it was a surprise to encounter some blokes less than happy to have her on the worksite.

On one occasion, this even included a customer who told her boss he didn't want a woman painting his house because he wanted "the job done properly".

"That was a bit of a kick in the stomach but that's the only time I've ever faced discrimination," she said.

"It is getting more and more popular [for women to take up trades] and I think males are just becoming more accepting of the fact that there are going to be women on a job site."

However, simply her presence in such a male-dominated industry does continue to cause some surprise, making her aware that, for the time being, a female painter is still an anomaly.

"Especially in the older generation - the older male tradies will kind of look at me twice when I walk onto a job site," she said. "It's just not seen often - a woman in a trade. It's just different."

In a bid to connect with other female tradies and to share her passion for painting, two years ago Miss Williams set up an Instagram account, Tahls the Painter, and soon had women and girls all over the world messaging her wanting to know about getting into trades.

Now, Tahls the Painter has around 12,000 followers and even secured a paid partnership with Monarch Painting - something which has made her boss very happy because it means a constant supply of free brushes and other tools.

Since she started working for him a year ago, he has been nothing but supportive, Miss Williams said, and will be forever grateful to him for "taking a chance on a chick".

"He was a bit worried about employing me [at first] because he knows what the job site can be like - it's all men, it's all men talk. It's not a very feminine environment so he was a bit worried about putting me on at the start," Miss Williams said.

"But he seems impressed so far, and he told me that, because I'm a single mum, I've got the drive. I'm always at work on time. I put it in my best effort."

Her Instagram account also left her with little doubt over the number of girls who did want to get into trades but didn't know where to start.

"I feel like there's this stigma that women just can't do 'male jobs'," she said.

"There's not enough programs and stuff [for girls to learn about trades]. What I'd love to do is get a program going for high school students."

There seemed to be a real demand among girls to learn too, she added.

The painter recently attended a vocational training day at the TAFE for girls to "try a trade" and around 12 were eager to hear about her career experiences of working as a painter and decorator.

"I do tell girls that are thinking about getting into painting and decorating that it is a male-dominated industry and that they don't have to put up with harassment... and if they ever feel uncomfortable they do need to speak up, but they need to have... a little bit of a thick skin in order to be able to make it," she said.

Now, the third-year apprentice painter has created the Ladies of Paint movement to try and connect women painters all over the world. Already following the new account were women painters from Canada, America, New Zealand and even Nigeria.

"A lot of people around here just see trades as just a job - they get up, they go to work and [that's it]," Miss Williams said.

"But I've got a passion for it so I wanted to connect with people - male and female - who've got that same love for it."

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