Cristina Moya, known among her colleagues as 'la Kiki', has dedicated 22 years of her life to construction. After leaving a stable job as a childcare assistant in 2004, she decided to train at a construction workshop school in Córdoba. Following two years of training, she began working as a second-class official and has been working on one project after another ever since.
In a recent appearance on the podcast 'Sector Oficios Podcast', Moya shared her professional journey. For the first 15 or 16 years, she focused exclusively on ceramic tiling, but over time she has expanded her skills to include other areas of general renovation, such as wall smoothing, plasterboard installation, electricity, and plumbing.
Her mother, who has always been a brave and hardworking woman in the cleaning sector, supported Cristina's decision, recalling how she herself carried out renovations in her brother's apartment, including tiling the kitchen.
Although working in construction had always been her desire, the early years were particularly difficult. Moya recounts how gender prejudices and stereotypes made it hard for her to get work on construction sites, as some were reluctant to hire a woman in a predominantly male environment. She eventually secured her first major opportunity on a large construction site with 300 workers, where she could prove her worth and feel fulfilled.
However, the prejudices did not disappear. She recounted an experience with a sexist site manager who told her: "What you should be doing is staying at home and washing dishes," when she stated she was going to tile a bathroom. This was one of many situations she had to endure.
Her interview in a Spanish media outlet gained significant attention, leading to numerous requests for further interviews. Moya points out that while there are now more women visible on social media platforms in construction and renovation, many do not pursue these trades daily, instead posting occasional videos. For her and other professionals, however, it is their daily livelihood.
