In the last ten years, more women have started working in construction. But unfortunately, it’s still largely a male-dominated field.
Only around 10% of construction workers are women, and of those, just 1% work on job sites—as subcontractors, superintendents or inspectors. More women work in industries like mining and natural resources than in construction.
So, why the big gender gap in construction? Maybe women think the field is an unappealing one to work in because of the grueling physical tasks required and its often cluttered work environment. Maybe men think women can’t handle the job. Or maybe, it’s a little bit of both.
It’s true that the kind of work that gets done on construction sites is usually physically challenging—installing tiles, climbing scaffolding, or carrying heavy pipes. Other less physically demanding jobs typically require workers to be well-versed in all parts of the construction process and to give instructions to mostly men on a daily basis. For some women, that might sound hard and intimidating.
Yet, at Arieli we often work with amazing women on our projects. We love when we can collaborate with and learn from talented women working in construction.
Over the years, we’ve met plenty of daughters who work side-by-side with their fathers—and wives who work with their husbands—lifting, moving and installing heavy materials. A lot of the women we work with tend to get into the industry because it’s their parent’s or their partner’s business. We’re always quick to encourage women working in construction.
There are tons of great reasons for women to get into construction, including:
1. Salary. The gender pay gap is significantly smaller in construction occupations, with women earning on average 99.1% of what men make.
2. Diversity. Most industries that were dominated by one gender in the past—chefs or teachers—have changed a lot in the last 20 years, and for the better. Construction is on its way, and the more women who join, the faster the workforce becomes more diverse.
3. Different points of view. It’s always great to have different perspectives on the job. We’ve found that often the women we’ve worked with approach problems from a different angle and can offer a fresh take on problem-solving.
One of the women we work with often is Marisol Suarez, who joins her tile worker father, Manuel, on the job. Manuel starting teaching Marisol his trade when she was little, and she loves the challenge of a picture-perfect installation and seeing results.
“As a woman working in this industry, it can be a challenge,” Marisol says, “but it's awesome to learn new things and feel I can accomplish the same things as a man. It's great working with my dad—he’s a huge inspiration to me—and it’s fun to build.”
Perhaps the most difficult part of the work, says Marisol, is coming up against male workers who doubt her abilities. But she doesn’t let that stop her. “As long as we work hard and put in the effort, women are just as capable as men,” she says.
