Celebrating women winning in construction

So often when we talk about gender disparities in construction it’s with a negative angle. The gender pay gap, the percentage of women working in construction, and the biases towards maternity leave. While these continue to be important points to have conversations on, it’s really encouraging to see positive news surrounding women working in construction for a change.

At the end of September, the industry celebrated the top 100 Most Influential Women in Construction at an awards evening. From influencers and regional winners to those working in specific trades, it was an evening to celebrate the positive impact that women have in the industry.

What’s really interesting is that it was recognised that progress has been the result of a collective effort. There are many people, men and women alike that are actively encouraging women in the industry, and this is exactly what the industry needs. Awards evenings are a fantastic way of recognising the efforts that people put in, but really, it’s the every day actions that make the most impact.

The difference it makes when one person is willing to speak up on behalf of others should not be underestimated. Often bias is not conscious, it’s something learnt through interactions with others. When there are groups of all men, people act differently to when it’s a mixed gender group.

As an example, think of the types of jokes you tell when it’s just a group of your close mates, compared to when you’re at a public gathering of all ages and genders. In fact, that’s a really good way to discern if you’re being biased. If you wouldn’t share the joke with everyone, then it most likely is rooted in bias.

The thing is that unless someone actually points out the bias or prejudice, most people don’t understand what the problem is. It’s the same as when there are discussions on how few women there are in senior roles, and the response is that they know of a female financial director so what’s the problem?

The problem is that if most people don’t see the bigger picture which includes a percentage that highlights the discrepancy, then nothing’s going to change. Because they don’t see the problem there’s no incentive to uncover why that is the case and certainly no inclination to work towards a solution.

The people recognised in the industry are those driving solutions, in the end it’s the industry that will benefit by the expertise that women have to offer.