Gender Inclusiveness in the Construction Industry

The International Labor Organization pegs the percentage of women in paid construction roles in Africa at about 5.5%.

The most common excuse for low female participation in the industry is that the jobs are too physically exerting. In reality, there are a variety of construction jobs that do not rely on brute strength, which are still not occupied in numbers by women.

The real issue is that most construction sites are simply not set up to encourage female participation. Sites often lack basic infrastructure to drive privacy and the right policies/training needed to mitigate against sexual harassment, abuse, or misconduct.

Women’s History Month provides a perfect opportunity to challenge construction companies to focus on promoting gender diversity in the workplace.

Studies indicate that women generally bring a unique set of skills to construction roles including diverse perspectives, an inherent ability to communicate, build relationships, manage crisis, multi-task, and pay attention to detail. A woman’s instinct and emotional intelligence could simply be off the chart.

In fostering wider productivity, gender inclusiveness may not just be nice to have, it may actually be the smart thing to do.

References

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