Funambulists in Power Lines: Gendered Pathways of Technical Workers in the Andean Region

This paper presents a historical and ethnographic analysis of technical work in the installation and maintenance of power lines in Ecuador and Colombia, tracing its evolution from late 19th-century trade schools to modern national systems of qualifications. By examining Colombia's privatized, market-driven model and Ecuador's public, stable model, I explore how different levels of privatization shape the career paths of linemen. In Colombia, privatization has led to greater job mobility and dynamism in training and employment, with a networked involvement of ministries, companies, and regional organizations. In contrast, Ecuador's public sector model offers more stability but limited opportunities for formal technical education, largely dependent on cultural transmission among peers.

Since 2014, policy initiatives in Colombia have also supported the inclusion of women in this field, backed by targeted training programs and multi-stakeholder involvement. Meanwhile, Ecuador's female inclusion remains sporadic, often influenced by individual drive or populist patronage practices rather than comprehensive long-term strategies. Unlike the activist-led struggles of female electricians in the 1960s United States, women's entry into this field in Andean region reflects global inclusion policies rather than grassroots resistance. This institutionalized inclusion has fostered a grammar of domination, rather than resistance, in the female workforce's experience, sometimes obscuring the gendered inequalities and violence they face.

Distinct motivations emerge for men and women entering this field. While men emphasize physical aptitude, women are drawn to the extreme nature of the work. This gendered approach also affects their learning focus, with women delving deeper into technical electrical knowledge and men emphasizing height-related skills. This dynamic contributes with unique forms of labor practices among technical workers, evolving grammar of professional identity and even the debate on professions and occupations, which in Latin America has a different character than in Europe or the Anglo-Saxon world.