Compared to other European states, the UK currently holds the lowest representation of women in the construction industry. With over 800,000 construction and building trades workers, less than 1% are women. That number rises to 18% only when you consider town planners, architects and surveyors. Several studies have unearthed reasons for this gross under- representation but three (3) stand out. A lack of role models, anxiety over career prospects and sexism top the infamous list of factors hindering women from pursuing a fulfilling career in construction. Granted, these factors are valid and must be given the attention they deserve but they do not tell the full story; at least for the UK.
For the UK, the root causes for this under-representation have stronger links with the construction sector, not women. A 2020 report published by EngineeringUK monitored the popular perception of boys and girls towards construction and engineering for four (4) years (from 2015 to 2019). It revealed that, contrary to popular opinion, over 90% of girls (contacted for the survey) agreed that construction is fit for both men and women. Over 80% of boys also shared this sentiment. Therefore, it is less likely that the shortfall in female representation is a result of girls excluding construction from their viable-career list; even though this is happening in small pockets.
The solution? UK construction sector must make itself more appealing to the 21st-century woman. In my opinion, there are three (3) ways this can be done:
- Awareness: If more women will consider going into construction, then the industry must buy over the remaining 10% of girls (from the survey) who don’t believe that construction is fit for both men and women. This effort must begin at the elementary levels where girls and boys can be weaned from the ideology of gender-specific professions. Parents, careers counsellors and teachers must be oriented and recruited on this quest.
- Friendly Recruitment Processes: The construction industry is not military or athletics. Therefore, it’s criteria for recruiting new talent shouldn’t be based on metrics that sell it as a military profession. According to studies, more women are warming up to the idea of a construction career but are getting disappointed by an industry that demands so much from entry-level candidates. Rather, it is the construction industry that must meet the demands of these new entrants by giving them the right environment to grow, learn and not being incessantly compared with their male counterparts.
- Remuneration: This shortlist won’t be complete without mentioning the elephant in the room; income Literature is replete with evidence that female construction professionals earn less than their male counterparts. Females must work twice as hard to gain half the recognition their male counterparts get. Put side by side, males are more likely to be considered for top decision-making roles than females. This explains the scanty number of women in senior positions in the construction industry today. With little prospects of making it far up the ladder, many female newbies don’t even try. They switch industries before the system gets the chance to frustrate them.
Individual contractors must put track record, results and competence over gender when filling senior positions. When young female professionals see their future self getting rewarded for the value they provide, they are more likely to remain for the long haul.
These three recommendations are not enough to create the change we need, but they are enough to start. By creating the right kind of awareness in girls, making the recruitment process more representative and rewarding competence regardless of gender, we will make the construction industry both attractive and convenient for women to thrive.
#UKConstruction #WomenInConstruction #inequality
References
Women In Construction (Why More Women Are Joining?) | Go Construct
Why we need more women in construction (ukconstructionmedia.co.uk)
Percentage of women in construction hits new post-Covid low | Construction News
Calls for gender balance in construction industry – BBC News
