As one of the few female construction executives, I believe that breaking down the limiting beliefs about women in construction will propel the construction industry forward while creating unprecedented opportunities for women.
The pandemic has decimated the future for women in every industry. The number of women in construction has always been abysmal. Yet, the construction firms that finally crush the old, antiquated, prohibitive ways of thinking and create inclusive cultures will be the ones that thrive in the future.
The historically male-dominated construction industry has made some progress toward diversity and inclusion in recent years, but the number of women in construction remains minuscule. A recent study by BigRentz reports construction industry employment is 10.4% women. While this seems like a low number, it is up from 9% the previous years.
Women most often hold sales and office roles in construction, followed by management, maintenance and a handful in service occupations and transportation. Roughly 86.7% of the women in construction are in office positions, while only 3.4% are in the trades.
Women brave enough to venture into the construction industry have always faced obstacles. Consider that in the construction industry, according to BigRentz:
· 43% of organizations do not actively monitor the gender pay gap.
· 60% of gender discrimination victims are female.
· Women face a higher risk of workplace injury due to poorly fitted equipment and a shrink-it-and-pink-it mentality about personal protective equipment.
· 73% of women feel passed over for roles because of their gender.
· 47% of women have never worked with a female manager, leaving them less likely to have role models.
Nearly 3 million American women have left the labor force over the past year in a COVID-19-induced exodus that reflects persistent pay inequality, undervalued work and antiquated notions of caregiving.
Before the pandemic, women represented about half of the country’s workforce. The number significantly dropped as women, particularly mothers of young children, found themselves furloughed or laid off. Many others, especially front-line workers and single mothers, had to choose between caring for their children and earning a paycheck as day care centers closed and schools went online.
Kate Doyle, a risk manager with Jordan Foster Construction, was one of the lucky ones whose position allowed for flexibility and the opportunity to work from home. It proved to be an enormous feat to meet the demands of her job and three school-aged children.
“We went from having a daily routine for school, work and extracurricular activities to utter chaos overnight. For the last year, it felt like I was keeping 25 plates spinning all day long, hoping not to drop one,” she said. “I have been lucky enough to work in construction, where my position remained stable, and I…
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