Building Confidence, One Power Tool at a Time

For Sunita Kotnala, crafting has always been second nature. Growing up in New Delhi, she would spend hours turning driftwood and scraps of timber into furniture, following a quiet instinct for making and mending. Years later, when she grew tired of her dining table in Canberra, she didn’t shop for a new one, she simply reimagined it with a sander and a fresh coat of varnish.

Moving to Australia opened up a world of creative possibilities. “Kerbside shopping was like a dream,” she says, recalling how she would rescue abandoned items and bring them back to life with upholstery and polish.

At first, she relied on books and YouTube tutorials to refine her woodworking. But her real turning point came when she joined a women’s shed in Sydney and learned to use power tools in a safe, welcoming environment. So when she later moved to Canberra and realised there was no equivalent space for women there, she knew exactly what to do.

With typical resolve, she decided to start one herself. The idea was simple, to create a place where women could come together, learn new skills, and find joy in making things. “It’s amazing to see how much happiness it’s brought to others too,” she says.

The Canberra Women’s Shed was born. Since opening in 2020, it has become a hub for women of all ages and backgrounds to learn, tinker and repair. In 2025, Sunita was named Canberra Citizen of the Year, an honour that coincided with the 25th anniversary of her Australian citizenship.

Sunita’s workshops are designed to be practical and inclusive, often led by skilled tradeswomen. But what matters most to her isn’t just passing on knowledge—it’s building confidence.

She reflects on how many women were never given the opportunity to learn these skills growing up. “We’re not encouraged the way boys are,” she says. “They often pick it up from their dads, while girls are taught to stay away from tools.”

The shed continues to grow. In 2023, it launched a mobile program to reach more women across the region. Each step forward reflects Sunita’s vision of a world where women don’t have to ask permission to learn, build, or take the lead.

“I wanted to create a space where women could feel powerful,” she says. “And now I see that happening, every single day.”