Discussion: View Thread

A1. Most frequent answer: "Men are overpowering and demeaning to women."

Q2. Setting aside, momentarily, A1. above, what other reasons discourage more professional women in construction?

<> What Percentage of Construction Workers Are Female?: 2022 Statistics

In September 2022, approximately 7.7 million people were employed in the U.S. construction industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 14% of construction workers in October 2022 were female. Both the number of women working in the construction industry and the number of construction-related companies owned by women have increased since 2014, despite some disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

·       Women in Construction Week – March 3-9, 2024
                 https://nationaltoday.com/women-in-construction-week/

·    14 of the Best Resources for Women in Construction
https://pronovos.com/14-of-the-best-resources-for-women-in-construction/

·       Empowering Women in Construction with Safer, More Inclusive Workplaces 
https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/career-development/empowering-women-construction-safer-more-inclusive-workplaces

https://www.nawic.org/
 
https://pwcusa.org/
 
https://www.goconstruct.org/why-choose-construction/diversity-in-construction/women-in-construction/
 
https://women-into-construction.org/
 
https://www.women-in-construction-usa.com/

Cheers, Bill

Genuine question from a woman in industry: do we need it to be equal? 

I'm all for women having the opportunity and being supported in their choices. On the other hand, I just don't foresee a lot of women wanting to do construction over other types of work even if given unhindered access. 

I enjoy being a member of the AEC industry, but I wouldn't expect many of the amazing females in my life to want to do it. Some of them do, which is great, but I don't think there's a magic percentage of women we need. 

On the flip side, I think men shouldn't be hindered from entering historically female sectors, but I don't think it's somehow wrong for a guy to prefer another profession over education or nursing, either. 

I'm grateful that I feel encouraged and appreciated in my field. I don't feel held back or discouraged because of my gender by my colleagues or clients. I know that wasn't always the case for those that came before me in industry, and I'm grateful for how far we've come. 

I want students to be exposed to a variety of fields and feel free to choose a career that interests them. Once they're there, I want them to be mentored and supported. But, I'm not going to be disappointed if we don't have equal representation as long as the reason given isn't "girls can't do that" or "boys can't do that"

My fear is, depending on how we tackle this topic, we end up shaming women that choose a more "traditional" path. Or we unintentionally see women engineers or contractors as "women engineers" or "women contractors" instead of "engineers" or "contractors" that happen to be women. I don't want to be praised for being a woman engineer; I want to be recognized as a good engineer. When we overly emphasize gender in the industry, it can sometimes lead to the first option. 

To briefly address your question as to why there may be few females in Construction: many Construction jobs are very physically demanding. Many of them require being out on a job site where the only toilet access is a portable toilet. Crane operators can't come down every time they need to use the restroom. You're often out in the elements year round. I'm not saying no women would want to work in those conditions, but I'm not surprised the number is lower than men. I'd venture to guess that there are more women in certain areas of the industry (design, management, etc.), but a majority of the industry is the laborers. I'm so grateful that they bring my designs to life, but I couldn't do what most of them do. 

A1. Most frequent answer: "Men are overpowering and demeaning to women."

Q2. Setting aside, momentarily, A1. above, what other reasons discourage more professional women in construction?

<> What Percentage of Construction Workers Are Female?: 2022 Statistics

In September 2022, approximately 7.7 million people were employed in the U.S. construction industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 14% of construction workers in October 2022 were female. Both the number of women working in the construction industry and the number of construction-related companies owned by women have increased since 2014, despite some disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

·       Women in Construction Week – March 3-9, 2024
                 https://nationaltoday.com/women-in-construction-week/

·    14 of the Best Resources for Women in Construction
https://pronovos.com/14-of-the-best-resources-for-women-in-construction/

·       Empowering Women in Construction with Safer, More Inclusive Workplaces 
https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/career-development/empowering-women-construction-safer-more-inclusive-workplaces

https://www.nawic.org/
 
https://pwcusa.org/
 
https://www.goconstruct.org/why-choose-construction/diversity-in-construction/women-in-construction/
 
https://women-into-construction.org/
 
https://www.women-in-construction-usa.com/

Cheers, Bill

Wonderfully said, Heidi. I agree completely.

Genuine question from a woman in industry: do we need it to be equal? 

I'm all for women having the opportunity and being supported in their choices. On the other hand, I just don't foresee a lot of women wanting to do construction over other types of work even if given unhindered access. 

I enjoy being a member of the AEC industry, but I wouldn't expect many of the amazing females in my life to want to do it. Some of them do, which is great, but I don't think there's a magic percentage of women we need. 

On the flip side, I think men shouldn't be hindered from entering historically female sectors, but I don't think it's somehow wrong for a guy to prefer another profession over education or nursing, either. 

I'm grateful that I feel encouraged and appreciated in my field. I don't feel held back or discouraged because of my gender by my colleagues or clients. I know that wasn't always the case for those that came before me in industry, and I'm grateful for how far we've come. 

I want students to be exposed to a variety of fields and feel free to choose a career that interests them. Once they're there, I want them to be mentored and supported. But, I'm not going to be disappointed if we don't have equal representation as long as the reason given isn't "girls can't do that" or "boys can't do that"

My fear is, depending on how we tackle this topic, we end up shaming women that choose a more "traditional" path. Or we unintentionally see women engineers or contractors as "women engineers" or "women contractors" instead of "engineers" or "contractors" that happen to be women. I don't want to be praised for being a woman engineer; I want to be recognized as a good engineer. When we overly emphasize gender in the industry, it can sometimes lead to the first option. 

To briefly address your question as to why there may be few females in Construction: many Construction jobs are very physically demanding. Many of them require being out on a job site where the only toilet access is a portable toilet. Crane operators can't come down every time they need to use the restroom. You're often out in the elements year round. I'm not saying no women would want to work in those conditions, but I'm not surprised the number is lower than men. I'd venture to guess that there are more women in certain areas of the industry (design, management, etc.), but a majority of the industry is the laborers. I'm so grateful that they bring my designs to life, but I couldn't do what most of them do. 

A1. Most frequent answer: "Men are overpowering and demeaning to women."

Q2. Setting aside, momentarily, A1. above, what other reasons discourage more professional women in construction?

<> What Percentage of Construction Workers Are Female?: 2022 Statistics

In September 2022, approximately 7.7 million people were employed in the U.S. construction industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 14% of construction workers in October 2022 were female. Both the number of women working in the construction industry and the number of construction-related companies owned by women have increased since 2014, despite some disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

·       Women in Construction Week – March 3-9, 2024
                 https://nationaltoday.com/women-in-construction-week/

·    14 of the Best Resources for Women in Construction
https://pronovos.com/14-of-the-best-resources-for-women-in-construction/

·       Empowering Women in Construction with Safer, More Inclusive Workplaces 
https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/career-development/empowering-women-construction-safer-more-inclusive-workplaces

https://www.nawic.org/
 
https://pwcusa.org/
 
https://www.goconstruct.org/why-choose-construction/diversity-in-construction/women-in-construction/
 
https://women-into-construction.org/
 
https://www.women-in-construction-usa.com/

Cheers, Bill

Genuine question from a woman in industry: do we need it to be equal? 

I'm all for women having the opportunity and being supported in their choices. On the other hand, I just don't foresee a lot of women wanting to do construction over other types of work even if given unhindered access. 

I enjoy being a member of the AEC industry, but I wouldn't expect many of the amazing females in my life to want to do it. Some of them do, which is great, but I don't think there's a magic percentage of women we need. 

On the flip side, I think men shouldn't be hindered from entering historically female sectors, but I don't think it's somehow wrong for a guy to prefer another profession over education or nursing, either. 

I'm grateful that I feel encouraged and appreciated in my field. I don't feel held back or discouraged because of my gender by my colleagues or clients. I know that wasn't always the case for those that came before me in industry, and I'm grateful for how far we've come. 

I want students to be exposed to a variety of fields and feel free to choose a career that interests them. Once they're there, I want them to be mentored and supported. But, I'm not going to be disappointed if we don't have equal representation as long as the reason given isn't "girls can't do that" or "boys can't do that"

My fear is, depending on how we tackle this topic, we end up shaming women that choose a more "traditional" path. Or we unintentionally see women engineers or contractors as "women engineers" or "women contractors" instead of "engineers" or "contractors" that happen to be women. I don't want to be praised for being a woman engineer; I want to be recognized as a good engineer. When we overly emphasize gender in the industry, it can sometimes lead to the first option. 

To briefly address your question as to why there may be few females in Construction: many Construction jobs are very physically demanding. Many of them require being out on a job site where the only toilet access is a portable toilet. Crane operators can't come down every time they need to use the restroom. You're often out in the elements year round. I'm not saying no women would want to work in those conditions, but I'm not surprised the number is lower than men. I'd venture to guess that there are more women in certain areas of the industry (design, management, etc.), but a majority of the industry is the laborers. I'm so grateful that they bring my designs to life, but I couldn't do what most of them do. 

A1. Most frequent answer: "Men are overpowering and demeaning to women."

Q2. Setting aside, momentarily, A1. above, what other reasons discourage more professional women in construction?

<> What Percentage of Construction Workers Are Female?: 2022 Statistics

In September 2022, approximately 7.7 million people were employed in the U.S. construction industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 14% of construction workers in October 2022 were female. Both the number of women working in the construction industry and the number of construction-related companies owned by women have increased since 2014, despite some disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

·       Women in Construction Week – March 3-9, 2024
                 https://nationaltoday.com/women-in-construction-week/

·    14 of the Best Resources for Women in Construction
https://pronovos.com/14-of-the-best-resources-for-women-in-construction/

·       Empowering Women in Construction with Safer, More Inclusive Workplaces 
https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/career-development/empowering-women-construction-safer-more-inclusive-workplaces

https://www.nawic.org/
 
https://pwcusa.org/
 
https://www.goconstruct.org/why-choose-construction/diversity-in-construction/women-in-construction/
 
https://women-into-construction.org/
 
https://www.women-in-construction-usa.com/

Cheers, Bill

I think there's a multi-level set of factors regarding the answer to this question.  A lot has to do with the past generations.  I earned my B.S. and M.S. in engineering in the early '90's.  More women were coming into engineering at the time and the resistance to the same was astounding.  I and others would encounter situations that would range from bullying ("you're looking a lot less pregnant," "don't worry your pretty little head about it,"  "that's a really nice short skirt you're wearing") to actually endangering our physical safety (intentionally left in the middle of nowhere while on site observations, made to work in dangerous areas alone even though two or more were required by regulations) when all we were trying to do was our jobs.  Mind you, this was before cell phones and social media that calls out some of these actions today. 

In the 1990's and 2000's, clients also would openly admit that they did not want a woman leading their project. (I still remember standing up to present on an RFP and the potential male client looked at me, said "Ohhhh," put his pen and notepad down and crossed his arms once he realized the male office manager would not be in charge of the project.)  On the flip side, engineering managers needed to keep the business going.  Thus male engineers had more leadership opportunities than the females because of client choice.  Unfortunately, because the negativity towards women was so fierce, it would also turn some women against the other women.  One can only be on guard for so long before it just wears one down. 

After about 20 years in the industry (15 as a P.E.), I transitioned to being an attorney.  I now represent architects, engineers, and contractors in regards to various construction aspects.  This has allowed me to see a lot of changes and I've seen quite a few positives.  It warms my heart to have the male managers fired up and wanting to defend the work of their women engineers and architects.  There are women-run construction, engineering, and architectural companies - not just on paper or in name only.  And you don't mess with the women construction workers I've encountered. 

Overall, I think there is progress.  Even the law industry had growing pains and big changes finally occurred when there were more women on the bench (judges).  For example, even in 2010 the law industry was arguing over whether it was "okay" for women attorneys to wear pantsuits instead of dresses/heels in court. 

There are more women in leadership positions in engineering, architecture, and construction than when I went through.  The best way for that to continue is for us to encourage each other and help each other be the best in whatever area we want to pursue.

Genuine question from a woman in industry: do we need it to be equal? 

I'm all for women having the opportunity and being supported in their choices. On the other hand, I just don't foresee a lot of women wanting to do construction over other types of work even if given unhindered access. 

I enjoy being a member of the AEC industry, but I wouldn't expect many of the amazing females in my life to want to do it. Some of them do, which is great, but I don't think there's a magic percentage of women we need. 

On the flip side, I think men shouldn't be hindered from entering historically female sectors, but I don't think it's somehow wrong for a guy to prefer another profession over education or nursing, either. 

I'm grateful that I feel encouraged and appreciated in my field. I don't feel held back or discouraged because of my gender by my colleagues or clients. I know that wasn't always the case for those that came before me in industry, and I'm grateful for how far we've come. 

I want students to be exposed to a variety of fields and feel free to choose a career that interests them. Once they're there, I want them to be mentored and supported. But, I'm not going to be disappointed if we don't have equal representation as long as the reason given isn't "girls can't do that" or "boys can't do that"

My fear is, depending on how we tackle this topic, we end up shaming women that choose a more "traditional" path. Or we unintentionally see women engineers or contractors as "women engineers" or "women contractors" instead of "engineers" or "contractors" that happen to be women. I don't want to be praised for being a woman engineer; I want to be recognized as a good engineer. When we overly emphasize gender in the industry, it can sometimes lead to the first option. 

To briefly address your question as to why there may be few females in Construction: many Construction jobs are very physically demanding. Many of them require being out on a job site where the only toilet access is a portable toilet. Crane operators can't come down every time they need to use the restroom. You're often out in the elements year round. I'm not saying no women would want to work in those conditions, but I'm not surprised the number is lower than men. I'd venture to guess that there are more women in certain areas of the industry (design, management, etc.), but a majority of the industry is the laborers. I'm so grateful that they bring my designs to life, but I couldn't do what most of them do. 

A1. Most frequent answer: "Men are overpowering and demeaning to women."

Q2. Setting aside, momentarily, A1. above, what other reasons discourage more professional women in construction?

<> What Percentage of Construction Workers Are Female?: 2022 Statistics

In September 2022, approximately 7.7 million people were employed in the U.S. construction industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 14% of construction workers in October 2022 were female. Both the number of women working in the construction industry and the number of construction-related companies owned by women have increased since 2014, despite some disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

·       Women in Construction Week – March 3-9, 2024
                 https://nationaltoday.com/women-in-construction-week/

·    14 of the Best Resources for Women in Construction
https://pronovos.com/14-of-the-best-resources-for-women-in-construction/

·       Empowering Women in Construction with Safer, More Inclusive Workplaces 
https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/career-development/empowering-women-construction-safer-more-inclusive-workplaces

https://www.nawic.org/
 
https://pwcusa.org/
 
https://www.goconstruct.org/why-choose-construction/diversity-in-construction/women-in-construction/
 
https://women-into-construction.org/
 
https://www.women-in-construction-usa.com/

Cheers, Bill

Some hope for the future?

The future (of construction) is female. It starts at builder camp. 

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/08/10/dmv-construction-camp-girls/

------------------------------
Leslie Nolen Aff.M.ASCE
ASCE
Reston VA


Original Message:
Sent: 08-10-2023 11:22 AM
From: Serena Hendon
Subject: Q1. Why are there few women in the various construction professions?

I think there's a multi-level set of factors regarding the answer to this question.  A lot has to do with the past generations.  I earned my B.S. and M.S. in engineering in the early '90's.  More women were coming into engineering at the time and the resistance to the same was astounding.  I and others would encounter situations that would range from bullying ("you're looking a lot less pregnant," "don't worry your pretty little head about it,"  "that's a really nice short skirt you're wearing") to actually endangering our physical safety (intentionally left in the middle of nowhere while on site observations, made to work in dangerous areas alone even though two or more were required by regulations) when all we were trying to do was our jobs.  Mind you, this was before cell phones and social media that calls out some of these actions today. 

In the 1990's and 2000's, clients also would openly admit that they did not want a woman leading their project. (I still remember standing up to present on an RFP and the potential male client looked at me, said "Ohhhh," put his pen and notepad down and crossed his arms once he realized the male office manager would not be in charge of the project.)  On the flip side, engineering managers needed to keep the business going.  Thus male engineers had more leadership opportunities than the females because of client choice.  Unfortunately, because the negativity towards women was so fierce, it would also turn some women against the other women.  One can only be on guard for so long before it just wears one down. 

After about 20 years in the industry (15 as a P.E.), I transitioned to being an attorney.  I now represent architects, engineers, and contractors in regards to various construction aspects.  This has allowed me to see a lot of changes and I've seen quite a few positives.  It warms my heart to have the male managers fired up and wanting to defend the work of their women engineers and architects.  There are women-run construction, engineering, and architectural companies - not just on paper or in name only.  And you don't mess with the women construction workers I've encountered. 

Overall, I think there is progress.  Even the law industry had growing pains and big changes finally occurred when there were more women on the bench (judges).  For example, even in 2010 the law industry was arguing over whether it was "okay" for women attorneys to wear pantsuits instead of dresses/heels in court. 

There are more women in leadership positions in engineering, architecture, and construction than when I went through.  The best way for that to continue is for us to encourage each other and help each other be the best in whatever area we want to pursue.

Genuine question from a woman in industry: do we need it to be equal? 

I'm all for women having the opportunity and being supported in their choices. On the other hand, I just don't foresee a lot of women wanting to do construction over other types of work even if given unhindered access. 

I enjoy being a member of the AEC industry, but I wouldn't expect many of the amazing females in my life to want to do it. Some of them do, which is great, but I don't think there's a magic percentage of women we need. 

On the flip side, I think men shouldn't be hindered from entering historically female sectors, but I don't think it's somehow wrong for a guy to prefer another profession over education or nursing, either. 

I'm grateful that I feel encouraged and appreciated in my field. I don't feel held back or discouraged because of my gender by my colleagues or clients. I know that wasn't always the case for those that came before me in industry, and I'm grateful for how far we've come. 

I want students to be exposed to a variety of fields and feel free to choose a career that interests them. Once they're there, I want them to be mentored and supported. But, I'm not going to be disappointed if we don't have equal representation as long as the reason given isn't "girls can't do that" or "boys can't do that"

My fear is, depending on how we tackle this topic, we end up shaming women that choose a more "traditional" path. Or we unintentionally see women engineers or contractors as "women engineers" or "women contractors" instead of "engineers" or "contractors" that happen to be women. I don't want to be praised for being a woman engineer; I want to be recognized as a good engineer. When we overly emphasize gender in the industry, it can sometimes lead to the first option. 

To briefly address your question as to why there may be few females in Construction: many Construction jobs are very physically demanding. Many of them require being out on a job site where the only toilet access is a portable toilet. Crane operators can't come down every time they need to use the restroom. You're often out in the elements year round. I'm not saying no women would want to work in those conditions, but I'm not surprised the number is lower than men. I'd venture to guess that there are more women in certain areas of the industry (design, management, etc.), but a majority of the industry is the laborers. I'm so grateful that they bring my designs to life, but I couldn't do what most of them do. 

A1. Most frequent answer: "Men are overpowering and demeaning to women."

Q2. Setting aside, momentarily, A1. above, what other reasons discourage more professional women in construction?

<> What Percentage of Construction Workers Are Female?: 2022 Statistics

In September 2022, approximately 7.7 million people were employed in the U.S. construction industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 14% of construction workers in October 2022 were female. Both the number of women working in the construction industry and the number of construction-related companies owned by women have increased since 2014, despite some disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

·       Women in Construction Week – March 3-9, 2024
                 https://nationaltoday.com/women-in-construction-week/

·    14 of the Best Resources for Women in Construction
https://pronovos.com/14-of-the-best-resources-for-women-in-construction/

·       Empowering Women in Construction with Safer, More Inclusive Workplaces 
https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/career-development/empowering-women-construction-safer-more-inclusive-workplaces

https://www.nawic.org/
 
https://pwcusa.org/
 
https://www.goconstruct.org/why-choose-construction/diversity-in-construction/women-in-construction/
 
https://women-into-construction.org/
 
https://www.women-in-construction-usa.com/

Cheers, Bill

Some hope for the future?

The future (of construction) is female. It starts at builder camp. 

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/08/10/dmv-construction-camp-girls/

------------------------------
Leslie Nolen Aff.M.ASCE
ASCE
Reston VA


Original Message:
Sent: 08-10-2023 11:22 AM
From: Serena Hendon
Subject: Q1. Why are there few women in the various construction professions?

I think there's a multi-level set of factors regarding the answer to this question.  A lot has to do with the past generations.  I earned my B.S. and M.S. in engineering in the early '90's.  More women were coming into engineering at the time and the resistance to the same was astounding.  I and others would encounter situations that would range from bullying ("you're looking a lot less pregnant," "don't worry your pretty little head about it,"  "that's a really nice short skirt you're wearing") to actually endangering our physical safety (intentionally left in the middle of nowhere while on site observations, made to work in dangerous areas alone even though two or more were required by regulations) when all we were trying to do was our jobs.  Mind you, this was before cell phones and social media that calls out some of these actions today. 

In the 1990's and 2000's, clients also would openly admit that they did not want a woman leading their project. (I still remember standing up to present on an RFP and the potential male client looked at me, said "Ohhhh," put his pen and notepad down and crossed his arms once he realized the male office manager would not be in charge of the project.)  On the flip side, engineering managers needed to keep the business going.  Thus male engineers had more leadership opportunities than the females because of client choice.  Unfortunately, because the negativity towards women was so fierce, it would also turn some women against the other women.  One can only be on guard for so long before it just wears one down. 

After about 20 years in the industry (15 as a P.E.), I transitioned to being an attorney.  I now represent architects, engineers, and contractors in regards to various construction aspects.  This has allowed me to see a lot of changes and I've seen quite a few positives.  It warms my heart to have the male managers fired up and wanting to defend the work of their women engineers and architects.  There are women-run construction, engineering, and architectural companies - not just on paper or in name only.  And you don't mess with the women construction workers I've encountered. 

Overall, I think there is progress.  Even the law industry had growing pains and big changes finally occurred when there were more women on the bench (judges).  For example, even in 2010 the law industry was arguing over whether it was "okay" for women attorneys to wear pantsuits instead of dresses/heels in court. 

There are more women in leadership positions in engineering, architecture, and construction than when I went through.  The best way for that to continue is for us to encourage each other and help each other be the best in whatever area we want to pursue.

Genuine question from a woman in industry: do we need it to be equal? 

I'm all for women having the opportunity and being supported in their choices. On the other hand, I just don't foresee a lot of women wanting to do construction over other types of work even if given unhindered access. 

I enjoy being a member of the AEC industry, but I wouldn't expect many of the amazing females in my life to want to do it. Some of them do, which is great, but I don't think there's a magic percentage of women we need. 

On the flip side, I think men shouldn't be hindered from entering historically female sectors, but I don't think it's somehow wrong for a guy to prefer another profession over education or nursing, either. 

I'm grateful that I feel encouraged and appreciated in my field. I don't feel held back or discouraged because of my gender by my colleagues or clients. I know that wasn't always the case for those that came before me in industry, and I'm grateful for how far we've come. 

I want students to be exposed to a variety of fields and feel free to choose a career that interests them. Once they're there, I want them to be mentored and supported. But, I'm not going to be disappointed if we don't have equal representation as long as the reason given isn't "girls can't do that" or "boys can't do that"

My fear is, depending on how we tackle this topic, we end up shaming women that choose a more "traditional" path. Or we unintentionally see women engineers or contractors as "women engineers" or "women contractors" instead of "engineers" or "contractors" that happen to be women. I don't want to be praised for being a woman engineer; I want to be recognized as a good engineer. When we overly emphasize gender in the industry, it can sometimes lead to the first option. 

To briefly address your question as to why there may be few females in Construction: many Construction jobs are very physically demanding. Many of them require being out on a job site where the only toilet access is a portable toilet. Crane operators can't come down every time they need to use the restroom. You're often out in the elements year round. I'm not saying no women would want to work in those conditions, but I'm not surprised the number is lower than men. I'd venture to guess that there are more women in certain areas of the industry (design, management, etc.), but a majority of the industry is the laborers. I'm so grateful that they bring my designs to life, but I couldn't do what most of them do. 

A1. Most frequent answer: "Men are overpowering and demeaning to women."

Q2. Setting aside, momentarily, A1. above, what other reasons discourage more professional women in construction?

<> What Percentage of Construction Workers Are Female?: 2022 Statistics

In September 2022, approximately 7.7 million people were employed in the U.S. construction industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 14% of construction workers in October 2022 were female. Both the number of women working in the construction industry and the number of construction-related companies owned by women have increased since 2014, despite some disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

·       Women in Construction Week – March 3-9, 2024
                 https://nationaltoday.com/women-in-construction-week/

·    14 of the Best Resources for Women in Construction
https://pronovos.com/14-of-the-best-resources-for-women-in-construction/

·       Empowering Women in Construction with Safer, More Inclusive Workplaces 
https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/career-development/empowering-women-construction-safer-more-inclusive-workplaces

https://www.nawic.org/
 
https://pwcusa.org/
 
https://www.goconstruct.org/why-choose-construction/diversity-in-construction/women-in-construction/
 
https://women-into-construction.org/
 
https://www.women-in-construction-usa.com/

Cheers, Bill

·      LinkedIn Posts "Women in Construction"

Professional Women in Construction

Women in Facilities Maintenance & Construction

Women Construction Owners & Executives, USA

National Association of Women in Construction - Australia

Women in Construction Conference DC

Women in Construction Action Network

Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC)

WSCP - Women in Sustainable Construction and Property

Women in Construction (WIC) Forum

Groundbreaking Women in Construction National Leadership Conference

Cheers,

Bill

Some hope for the future?

The future (of construction) is female. It starts at builder camp. 

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/08/10/dmv-construction-camp-girls/

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Leslie Nolen Aff.M.ASCE
ASCE
Reston VA


Original Message:
Sent: 08-10-2023 11:22 AM
From: Serena Hendon
Subject: Q1. Why are there few women in the various construction professions?

I think there's a multi-level set of factors regarding the answer to this question.  A lot has to do with the past generations.  I earned my B.S. and M.S. in engineering in the early '90's.  More women were coming into engineering at the time and the resistance to the same was astounding.  I and others would encounter situations that would range from bullying ("you're looking a lot less pregnant," "don't worry your pretty little head about it,"  "that's a really nice short skirt you're wearing") to actually endangering our physical safety (intentionally left in the middle of nowhere while on site observations, made to work in dangerous areas alone even though two or more were required by regulations) when all we were trying to do was our jobs.  Mind you, this was before cell phones and social media that calls out some of these actions today. 

In the 1990's and 2000's, clients also would openly admit that they did not want a woman leading their project. (I still remember standing up to present on an RFP and the potential male client looked at me, said "Ohhhh," put his pen and notepad down and crossed his arms once he realized the male office manager would not be in charge of the project.)  On the flip side, engineering managers needed to keep the business going.  Thus male engineers had more leadership opportunities than the females because of client choice.  Unfortunately, because the negativity towards women was so fierce, it would also turn some women against the other women.  One can only be on guard for so long before it just wears one down. 

After about 20 years in the industry (15 as a P.E.), I transitioned to being an attorney.  I now represent architects, engineers, and contractors in regards to various construction aspects.  This has allowed me to see a lot of changes and I've seen quite a few positives.  It warms my heart to have the male managers fired up and wanting to defend the work of their women engineers and architects.  There are women-run construction, engineering, and architectural companies - not just on paper or in name only.  And you don't mess with the women construction workers I've encountered. 

Overall, I think there is progress.  Even the law industry had growing pains and big changes finally occurred when there were more women on the bench (judges).  For example, even in 2010 the law industry was arguing over whether it was "okay" for women attorneys to wear pantsuits instead of dresses/heels in court. 

There are more women in leadership positions in engineering, architecture, and construction than when I went through.  The best way for that to continue is for us to encourage each other and help each other be the best in whatever area we want to pursue.

Genuine question from a woman in industry: do we need it to be equal? 

I'm all for women having the opportunity and being supported in their choices. On the other hand, I just don't foresee a lot of women wanting to do construction over other types of work even if given unhindered access. 

I enjoy being a member of the AEC industry, but I wouldn't expect many of the amazing females in my life to want to do it. Some of them do, which is great, but I don't think there's a magic percentage of women we need. 

On the flip side, I think men shouldn't be hindered from entering historically female sectors, but I don't think it's somehow wrong for a guy to prefer another profession over education or nursing, either. 

I'm grateful that I feel encouraged and appreciated in my field. I don't feel held back or discouraged because of my gender by my colleagues or clients. I know that wasn't always the case for those that came before me in industry, and I'm grateful for how far we've come. 

I want students to be exposed to a variety of fields and feel free to choose a career that interests them. Once they're there, I want them to be mentored and supported. But, I'm not going to be disappointed if we don't have equal representation as long as the reason given isn't "girls can't do that" or "boys can't do that"

My fear is, depending on how we tackle this topic, we end up shaming women that choose a more "traditional" path. Or we unintentionally see women engineers or contractors as "women engineers" or "women contractors" instead of "engineers" or "contractors" that happen to be women. I don't want to be praised for being a woman engineer; I want to be recognized as a good engineer. When we overly emphasize gender in the industry, it can sometimes lead to the first option. 

To briefly address your question as to why there may be few females in Construction: many Construction jobs are very physically demanding. Many of them require being out on a job site where the only toilet access is a portable toilet. Crane operators can't come down every time they need to use the restroom. You're often out in the elements year round. I'm not saying no women would want to work in those conditions, but I'm not surprised the number is lower than men. I'd venture to guess that there are more women in certain areas of the industry (design, management, etc.), but a majority of the industry is the laborers. I'm so grateful that they bring my designs to life, but I couldn't do what most of them do. 

A1. Most frequent answer: "Men are overpowering and demeaning to women."

Q2. Setting aside, momentarily, A1. above, what other reasons discourage more professional women in construction?

<> What Percentage of Construction Workers Are Female?: 2022 Statistics

In September 2022, approximately 7.7 million people were employed in the U.S. construction industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 14% of construction workers in October 2022 were female. Both the number of women working in the construction industry and the number of construction-related companies owned by women have increased since 2014, despite some disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

·       Women in Construction Week – March 3-9, 2024
                 https://nationaltoday.com/women-in-construction-week/

·    14 of the Best Resources for Women in Construction
https://pronovos.com/14-of-the-best-resources-for-women-in-construction/

·       Empowering Women in Construction with Safer, More Inclusive Workplaces 
https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/career-development/empowering-women-construction-safer-more-inclusive-workplaces

https://www.nawic.org/
 
https://pwcusa.org/
 
https://www.goconstruct.org/why-choose-construction/diversity-in-construction/women-in-construction/
 
https://women-into-construction.org/
 
https://www.women-in-construction-usa.com/

Cheers, Bill