The construction sector is one of the most male-controlled sectors in the world. The latest US statistics showed that only 9.9% of workers are females while the rest with percentage 90.1% are males. From this female employment percentage, we have 86.7% in office positions and 13.7% in the site work. The reasons for this division are various, starting from the job site with its tough type of exertion and ending with racist acts at work. However, despite all of the barriers, women continued to build their career in this sector by being role models in leadership, according to Randstad report. Nearly a quarter (22%) of businesses raised the profile of some of their most senior women this year.
If you want to get inspired, the Guardian portrayed some of the significant women in the industry:
Concepcion Vicente, Project manager: “Only 11% of the engineering workforce in the UK is female and only 5% of registered engineers and technicians are women. I am part of that low percentage and feel really proud to add value in this way. I am the only woman contractor project manager dealing with a CSO site.”
Katie Kelleher, Crane operator: “I’ve been a crane operator for four years. I fell into it after working in recruitment. I never knew that women worked in the industry. I think everyone has a preconception about construction, when I was a recruitment consultant I did, too.”
Leah Blackwell, Painter, and decorator: “I’ve been working in construction for five years. I was 24 when I changed careers, I was stuck in retail, hated it, so I took the plunge. At first, I didn’t want to go into construction because I thought it was a man’s world. I thought it’s not for women.”
Why do you need more female leaders in your work?
First of all, it’s a known fact that different management approaches bring out the hidden potentials in your work. That’s why a female leader can do better, she understands well what women want and how to market each product according to their needs. If you ever wondered how a female leader can benefit your work, here are some of their impacts on the business:
Acting as an inspiring model for other women: They play a crucial role in mentoring the next generation in the field, like the famous architect Zaha Hadid.
Enhancing the system: Women always seek change. Not only in their personal life but also in their career. Wherever there is a female leader you’ll find new enhancing standards and promotional benefits.
Profit increase: McKinsey & company have found that companies with women in a leading position were 21% higher in profit than the average market.
It has become a clear fact that female leaders are making a big difference in the construction industry, not only when it comes to revenue but also in the environment and methodology of operating tasks. Big companies started to notice and empowered them more in multiple sectors, such as construction management, facility management, and real estate marketing.
Female Real Estate Agents Taking over the Market by Natural Qualifications
The real estate industry was powered and organized by male labor forces for decades until women came into the game, with the trade getting wider and more competitive, they started to give women more chances to work as real estate agents. They even passed the male dominance in the sector by almost doubling the number with a ratio of 2:1 in the US. There’s no wonder in this breakthrough, women have often been the ones who were behind a decision to move. The good real estate agent also must have high communication skills and a wide network of connections, which already exist by nature in women. All these qualifications and more promoted women in the industry to take more chances and to improve themselves until .
Facing Challenges in the Construction Field – How to Overcome these Barriers?
Women in the construction industry are divided into three main groups, women in technical office positions such as architects and engineers, women in administrative positions like secretaries in HR, and finally women as a construction workforce on site. Each group of them face their own challenges and barriers, however, there are some common obstacles between all of them, which are:
- Gender Pay Gap
- Lack of training
- Work-Life-Balance
- Poor site facilities that are not adapted to women, f.e.sanitary installations
The main reason for barriers to women in the field is that they don’t know what their actual rights are and how to demand them. The International Labor Organization (ILO) have formulated seven basic rights of women at work:
Fulfilling these rights will create a better environment that encourages more women to get into the field. And remember that technology is your first support. If you made your decision to join our sector, choose PlanRadar as your construction management app to minimize up to 7 working hours per week. You surely need this time for yourself. Start your free 30-day trial now!
