A 35-year-old Ghanaian painter, Janet Ayi, has opened up about the challenges she faces as a woman in the male-dominated construction industry, alleging that some engineers and estate developers demand sexual favours before awarding contracts.
In a viral video on X, on March 8, 2026, Janet said her biggest struggle in the profession has not been the physically demanding work but resisting inappropriate gestures tied to job opportunities.
According to her, some industry players request sex or a romantic relationship before giving women contracts.
“Most of the engineers and the estate developers, when you are a female and you are into painting or masonry, before they give you their contracts, they ask something from you,” she said, adding that the request is often for sex.
Janet said she has repeatedly rejected such demands, even though doing so has cost her potential work opportunities.
“I didn’t accept it because I know what I’m looking for,” she explained, noting that refusal sometimes led to lost deals, mockery and isolation on construction sites.
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Her journey into painting began after completing junior high school. She initially wanted to become an auto mechanic, but her father discouraged her from the idea and instead suggested she learn dressmaking.
Uninterested in sewing, she eventually retraced her path to painting after meeting a master painter named Abu, who introduced her to the trade.
She later worked with several other craftsmen to sharpen her skills.
Growing up in Nima, an inner-city community in Accra, she said she quickly realised that success would require resilience.
Despite the challenges, Janet has persisted in the field and now leads her own small painting team.
She noted that one of her apprentices is a man.
She also mentors young people, especially girls, who want to venture into the painting profession.
Janet said her ultimate ambition is to become the best female painter in the world and inspire more women to enter technical professions.
“I want the younger ones who come in, to learn how to paint, how to take contracts and how to communicate with clients,” she said.
Her dream, she added, is to land major national projects, including painting the Jubilee House or the Bank of Ghana.
Watch the video below
In Ghana’s construction sector, where scaffolds rise high and opportunities are often tightly guarded, one woman says her greatest battle has not been with paint or plaster, but with propositions.
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) March 9, 2026
At 35, Janet Ayi says she has had to fight off discrimination, intimidation, and… pic.twitter.com/EyMsAWqLt7
MRA/VPO
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