The focus in the construction industry over the past few weeks has understandably been about getting projects back on site safely.
Now the dust is starting to settle, we’re all starting to think about what we want our working lives to look like when things get back to normal. I was particularly fascinated to read this article in Building magazine today about how COVID-19 might well be the catalyst that the construction industry needs to encourage more women into the profession.
According to the statistics, 19 percent of the profession is female and in building trades, it is less than 1 percent. One of the poorest performing sectors in terms of gender balance, the construction industry has long been considered to be a macho culture and is one in which women haven’t been able to thrive, in spite of the fantastic work of organisations such as the National Association of Women in Construction.
One thing the lockdown is starting to show is that there are many roles within the industry that can be performed (wholly or partly) remotely and can be balanced with childcare and other commitments which might currently discourage women from entering the sector. This must surely be of benefit in the long term, both in terms of diversity of skills and thought.
I sincerely hope that post COVID-19, I start to speak to more women on a day to day basis on the projects on which I’m working.
The construction sector’s culture of long hours and presenteeism at work were among the barriers to women succeeding and staying in the sector, particularly when women still tend to adopt the larger share of care roles at home. However, as the industry goes online and becomes more digital, those barriers could start to disappear, creating a more inclusive work environment.
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