In honour of International Women’s Day #breakthebias campaign, we look at why women are put off going into construction and what we can do to encourage more women into the industry.

The construction industry employs around 2.1 million people in the UK. The Women in Construction summit stated that only 11% of these were women. The bias is slowly starting to change especially with the current labour shortage and the continued industry growth. According to Go Construct, 37% of new hires in the industry after university are women and approximately 15% of all construction industry professionals are now female.

If you look at the different trades the percentage of men to women is staggering. Women make up less than 1% of carpenters in the UK and only 2% of electricians, plumbers, and metal workers.

Breaking the trend

There are many ways companies within the industry can help with breaking the stereotype of the construction industry is a man’s world. The largest being the pay gap and systematic bias.

Mind the Gap

Over the past few years, the pay gap between men and women across multiple sectors has been thrown into the spotlight. One of the most memorable was the BBC who were called out for their pay gap and later held themselves accountable and took immediate action.

In 2019 the UK average gap was 18% yet in construction it was 20%. The gap starts at entry-level with men receiving 3.5% more than women, with the gap widening as careers progress up to a shocking 23% between the ages of 46-65.

A recent survey carried out by RICS has found the gender pay gap is starting to close as more women are attracted to the industry. This is a small step in the right direction but only by more women accessing senior leadership roles will see the gender pay gap shrink, so promotion within companies of female employees needs to be addressed.

Systematic Bias

Over the years the construction industry has become a casualty of systematic bias.

A survey of 2000 women was conducted by Career Smart and 1 in 3, had experienced a form of discrimination while working. Whether from inappropriate comments from male colleagues or customers not taking them seriously due to their gender.

The good news is that 75% of tradeswomen received a four or five out of five in the ‘would be’ ratings for works conducted.

There are many benefits of having a mixed-gender in the workplace, including access to broader ideas. It’s well known that men and women think differently, so having a diverse culture can help with problem-solving as each gender will approach the situation differently.

Education

Better training and education within schools can encourage females to explore what is possible. Asking females from within the industry to visit schools and give presentations to change the bias from a young age. Getting young women interested in taking STEM (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.

In recent years there is positive change with admissions to trade courses rising by 27%, with the most popular being plumbing. UCAS have also seen an increase in application to construction-based degree courses.

PPE & Tools

Women would not buy men’s clothes for a night out so she should not expect to do so for work. PPE needs to be fit-for-purpose. Companies need to ensure they do not just supply “one size fits all” as it does not. Ill-fitting workwear apart from not looking professional can jeopardize safety. More manufacturers and retailers are starting to stock female-fit Hi-vis vests, jackets, trousers and even safety eyewear, respirators and gloves are coming onto the market. Companies need to ensure they buy smart even if this entails a bit of shopping around. t size

Conclusion

If the construction industry is to be taken seriously as an equal opportunity workplace it must try harder. The preconceived ideas need to be addressed, and it needs to shout from the rooftops that we are proud to employ all genders and that everyone is treated as an equal.

Companies need to raise the profile of existing women within their companies and encourage more women to follow in their footsteps.

If a company can be seen to be progressive with pay, careers, flexible working and even the correct tools and PPE it offers then other women will apply to join.

More information

• https://www.goconstruct.org/why-choose-construction/whats-happening-in-construction/female-firsts-in-construction/
• https://www.ratedpeople.com/sp-assets/rated-people-home-improvement-trends-report-2022.pdf
• https://www.chas.co.uk/blog/women-in-construction/
• https://www.constructionline.co.uk/insights/blog/how-can-we-encourage-more-women-into-the-construction-industry/
• Https://www.showhouse.co.uk/news/gender-pay-gap-narrows-in-the-construction-industry/
• Women into Construction | Changing the Face of Construction (women-into-construction.org)