Women in Construction: What You Need to Know

Construction — like most industries — is not gendered. Many women find fulfilling, successful careers in this field. If you’re interested or involved in the building sector, you can benefit from learning more about the role and influx of females in the industry.

Below, you’ll learn more about women’s contributions, challenges and the construction industry’s future.

The History of Women in Construction

Here are some interesting facts about women in construction to help you get an overview of the landscape in the past versus now:

The first records of women in construction date back to 13th century Spain.
There’s evidence of women working in construction between the 13th and 17th centuries in multiple countries, even though many frowned upon female labor.
With the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, more women started working as laborers in construction, including Emily Warren Roebling, an engineer who played a pivotal role in building the Brooklyn Bridge.
Since then, countless groundbreaking women in construction have continued to thrive and play crucial roles in the industry’s development despite their setbacks.

When looking into women in construction statistics, you’ll find only one in ten workers in the industry are female today. Though this is a small fraction, more ladies are joining the building sector in various roles.

Common Roles and Positions of Women in Construction

Women can pursue any construction position with the necessary skills and qualifications. However, there are a few roles that they commonly gravitate toward:

Marketing: People often forget that working in the construction industry doesn’t mean you must actively perform manual labor, although it can. However, it can also mean getting involved in other areas, like marketing. Women often receive praise for their attention to detail and creativity, so it makes sense that they find themselves drawn to marketing roles.
Management: Similar to marketing, management is another area in construction that allows women to do more of the behind-the-scenes work that’s essential for the business to succeed. From project planning in an office to a more direct approach to on-site leadership, women often work their way up the construction ladder to an administration role.
Surveying: Construction surveying is a vital part of the construction process, as it’s the phase that provides data to help plan and execute building projects. This more hands-on job involves observing the construction site and how its topography and obstacles could pose challenges. While it requires a certain level of manual labor, technological advances make the process much easier, thanks to equipment like drones.
Bricklaying: Bricklaying can involve both cutting stone to create bricks and the actual process of laying these bricks in mortar. It’s a role that requires patience and precision, and mastering it can take a few years.

Challenges Women in Construction Face

Many still see construction as a masculine job, which means that women in construction face quite a few challenges:

Gender bias: More than a third of women hesitate to apply for jobs due to gender bias. In male-dominated industries like construction, they may feel even more intimidated, and gender bias is often more severe, with some believing that women in construction can’t perform their jobs as well as men.
Work-life balance: Women in construction may work long hours and even spend days away from home if they need to work on location. Work-life balance can be challenging, especially during demanding projects.
Safety and health concerns: Construction is one of the most dangerous industries in the world. Workers, no matter their gender, can face work-related injuries, illnesses or even death without proper safety protocols and measures.

Organizations and Support Groups

With all the challenges women in construction face, it can be difficult to enter the industry and build a long-term career — especially without a strong support system. That’s why there are organizations and support groups dedicated to helping women in this field.

The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) provides resources and educational material to uplift women in the building sector, advocate for themselves, evolve their careers and create a community.

The Community of Professional Women in Construction (PWC) is another organization that aims to connect those in the industry by providing exclusive memberships and mentorship programs.

Females in this field can also seek local opportunities and groups to network with peers, exchange career advice and find spaces celebrating women in construction.

The Importance of Proper Training and Education for Women in Construction

Training and education are essential for technical work across any sector. In industries like construction, where employees need to do their jobs correctly to avoid serious injury, proper guidance and learning are even more critical.

Women entering the construction industry deserve the same opportunities and experiences as men, so employers should share resources to help them learn about the sector and develop the necessary skills for success.

Here are some reasons why training and educating women in construction is essential:

Growth opportunities: By training women, they can move into specialized fields within construction and have more work opportunities to bring their unique perspectives and skillsets to the industry.
Technological advancements: Those who are apprehensive about women working in construction often blame physical strength and an inability to perform the same manual labor as men as their reasoning. However, this certainly isn’t the case for all women, and technological advancements mean that females — and males — don’t need to exert as much physical energy on specific construction tasks and can instead use tools and equipment to do the heavy lifting.
Encouraging young women: Seeing women in construction can empower young girls and show them that this career path is a viable option for them as well. Education about women’s role in construction can open doors for a future generation.
Knowledge of equipment: Women in the industry deserve to be on the same level as men, meaning they have the right to learn how to safely and effectively use heavy construction equipment like bucket trucks, cranes and diggers.

While women in construction can benefit significantly from further learning opportunities, so can their employers. Education is key to fostering loyal employees and reducing turnover because 45% of employees are more likely to stay in a role that provides training.

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Women In Construction: Then And Now