Women in the Profession - Q&A Series

1. What is it like as a female working in the construction industry?

I expect a woman’s experience of working in our industry to be comparable to those of others, but I only know the career path I walked. I never understood the lack of gender balance in the construction industry, simply because it is something I chose for myself as a person and not as a woman. Men still dominate in numbers, but thankfully seeing a woman or other genders working in our industry is no longer a ‘novelty’ to be frequently pointed out. I am grateful this question has faded over time and that many object to the very idea of such differentiation. However, the need for more female role models in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and the built environment is still very relevant today, whilst our industry procrastinates towards gender equality. Throughout much of my career, I have been a member of industry women’s networking organisations in Australia then the UK and within employer gender groups, because we still do not attract and retain enough females in our industry.

2. Have you faced any obstacles within the industry based on your gender?

Under past societal influence, I witnessed women in the industry tested for their emotional resilience to the point of bullying. Some explained this “toughening up” as a favour towards career survival and it is difficult to judge whether younger males were also treated this way and did not speak up. In contrast, the all-male leaders of companies I worked for at the time, were advocates of respectful professional behaviour and challenged their own unconscious bias whilst balancing our requests against any positive discrimination. If there are obstacles to a woman’s career in our industry, it is generally difficult to prove unless implicit witnessed behaviours or written records exist. Partly due to unconscious bias, as well as variations of individual personalities and acceptable behaviour interpretation. However, numbers do not lie. If the percentage of men progressing (based on comparable career longevity) is much higher, there is something fundamentally wrong in that organisation. Motherhood or other female linked carer duties are often cited as hindrances in our demanding industry, but consider the smiles and compliments given to the father who must leave a meeting early to pick up his child from school, whilst it is unlikely such adulation exists for the mother doing the same.

3. Over the course of your career, how have you seen the industry change in terms of inclusion and diversity?

The inherited socialised sexism of past decades was obvious in the 1980s. Macho behaviours with nude women calendars as an industry marketing token and wolf whistles on-site were common. The 1990s witnessed a drive to attract females into the industry, amongst a general push to raise professional standards and ethics. Women looked forward and tended to ignore side comments or outdated attitudes, instead focusing on doing a great job and pushing through that elusive glass ceiling. Whilst attending a Press for Progress event in 2018, a young woman pointed out that this drove sexism underground and my generation had a lot to answer for. I found myself revisiting the basic core belief that gender balance in our industry should be so normal, that it would never need mentioning. Technology has brought forward a more informed and enlightened generation who are exposed to a variety of genders and people around the globe. Business saw the power of social media and individuals in this digital consumer-focused age. Major organisations are now seeking better diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives, alongside their sustainability targets.

4. What do you feel is a way for us to accelerate this change?

Each decade I optimistically tracked towards gender parity, but the World Economic Forum’s 2021 Global Gender Gap Report predicts it will take another 136 years. Our industry saw change due to two key accelerators. Firstly, corporate agendas finally accept that board diversity improves profits but requires support. The other is society celebrating inclusion and diversity to the point where being different, should be as normal as being the same. The “me too” campaign was amongst many global calls for equality. Equality applies to all minority groups in varying degrees, but ‘belonging’ covers every person. It is no longer about highlighting gender alone, but the whole inclusivity spectrum to bring forward best talent in a changing and global conscious operating environment. Our industry is fundamentally a cluster of businesses that are heavily reliant on both individuals and society. The way forward relies on respecting and celebrating each individual, particularly addressing unconscious bias when providing opportunity or when sponsoring (not just mentoring) individuals, and by making DEIB part of each organisation’s business strategy goals led from the top. Behaviours are driven from above and senior management should reflect such a culture of the organisation and be chosen accordingly.