Jo Mackiewicz

Male and female or plug and socket? artpartner-images/The Image Bank via Getty Images

August 25, 2026

‘Male’ and ‘female’ plugs and connectors – gendered language for the ends of garden hoses, electrical cords and pipe fittings sparks debate

Jo Mackiewicz, Iowa State University and Jordan Smith, University of Northern Colorado

Terms that are direct analogs to sexual intercourse are widely used to describe connector ends, but the language is evolving away from those problematic words.

The author, Jo Mackiewicz, tig-welds a chair at Howe’s Welding and Metal Fabrication in Ames, Iowa. She works with two other women at the shop. H. Lux

September 18, 2025

4 decades after the landmark book ‘Alone in a Crowd,’ women in the trades still battle bias – a professor‑turned‑welder reflects

Jo Mackiewicz, Iowa State University

Jean Reith Schroedel’s 1985 book captured the struggles and triumphs of tradeswomen. Forty years later, its lessons remain urgent.

The author welds a headboard. Jo Mackiewicz

November 5, 2024

Only 5.3% of welders in the US are women. After years as a writing professor, I became one − here’s what I learned

Jo Mackiewicz, Iowa State University

Being a woman in a welding and fabrication shop means finding workarounds for getting tasks done.

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‘Male’ and ‘female’ plugs and connectors – gendered language for the ends of garden hoses, electrical cords and pipe fittings sparks debate

4 decades after the landmark book ‘Alone in a Crowd,’ women in the trades still battle bias – a professor‑turned‑welder reflects

Only 5.3% of welders in the US are women. After years as a writing professor, I became one − here’s what I learned

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