Navy Commodore Melissa Ross has often been one of the few women on deck in her workplace.
It s more common than ever to see a woman picking up a belt sander, a fire hose or handpiece.
Stuff reporter Georgia Forrester chats to wāhine who are smashing stereotypes in traditionally male-dominated industries. Melissa Ross knows what it s like to be a woman standing out in a sea of men. Ross (Ngāpuhi) is the deputy chief of the navy. In 2019, she became the first woman to achieve the rank of commodore in the Royal New Zealand Navy s history, and the first woman to become second-in command.