Attracting, Retaining and Empowering Women in Construction
The construction industry is one of the largest industries in Australia, but also the most male-dominated sector with women representing only 12 per cent of its workforce, a decline from 17 per cent in 2006, despite many efforts to improve this figure.
In September 2022, UNSW Built Environment Researchers Dr. Cynthia Wang and A/Prof Riza Sunindijo were awarded $2.3m by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Office for Women, under the Federal Government’s Women’s Leadership and Development Program.
The project’s objective is to attract, retain and empower women in construction - a traditionally male-dominated industry. Despite significant efforts in practice, including providing flexible working hours, childcare facilities, and reducing pay gaps, women only make up a small percentage of the construction workforce. Dr. Wang and A/Prof Sunindijo’s research has revealed fundamental problems that need to be addressed to improve women’s participation and career development in the industry.
First, there is a longstanding misperception that construction is not for women. Consultation sessions with students indicate that high school girls, parents and career advisors are not aware of the diverse career opportunities and high earning potential the sector provides. High school career advisors often do not recommend construction to female students, which leads to lower enrolments in construction degrees.
Second, while “Women in STEM” and “Women in Engineering” have received wide-spread attention, there are few similar movements in construction. For women who enrol in construction degrees, there is not enough support for career planning and mentoring. This in turn strengthens the perception that construction is not for women, and can lead to women leaving the industry.
Lastly, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that in the Australian construction industry, 97% of CEOs and 88% of senior managers are men. There are too few female role models in leadership positions. Interviews with female alumni show that men and women are given unequal access to job opportunities. Women are usually encouraged into feminised career paths, such as administration or design, that significantly reduce opportunities to progress to leadership roles.
What is the impact of this? The failure to draw upon the female workforce further accentuates problems with the forecasted skill shortage in the industry. Research has also shown that diversity has a positive effect on productivity, innovation, and employee satisfaction, which directly uplifts customer satisfaction, leading to increased revenues.
We also know that male-dominated organisations can increase mental and physical health risks for all employees. Improving gender diversity, therefore, can contribute to improving the mental well-being of both men and women. In short, improving gender diversity addresses two of the construction industry’s notorious challenges: skill shortages and poor mental health.
While many existing efforts to address gender issues in construction ignore early career preparation and on-going support in career development, this project uses a unique life-cycle approach, and engages women throughout their entire career.
The project starts with engagement of females in high-school, by providing site tours, career workshops, and resources and tools to upskill career advisors. For women studying construction degrees, scholarships for students at an undergraduate and PhD level are created, and internship programs will be established with industry partners. To provide continuous support for women working in construction, mentorship and training resources will be developed to support them to further advance their career, and to obtain leadership positions in one of Australia’s most important industries.
UNSW Built Environment team
Dr. Cynthia Wang
A/Prof Riza Sunindijo