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Traditionally, the public views the construction industry as one dominated by males. Still ingrained in American cultural ideology is the iconic image of a young boy playing with a dump truck next to his sister, who is holding a doll. How about those countless holiday commercials featuring a yellow construction vehicle with a bow conspicuously attached under a tree, or the numerous others showing a doll sticking halfway out of a stocking on the hearth, bathed in the warm glow of a dwindling fire? To some extent these perceptions survive, but may now be in a position to start fading away. Gender inequality and sex discrimination in the construction industry have plummeted since the 1980’s, but there remain two obstacles for women to overcome: a nearly complete absence from the absolute highest positions, and a tremendous disparity between the percentages of male and female workers.
Opportunities for women in construction are more prolific today then at any point in American history. Up until the 1980’s, women were virtually excluded from the construction industry. Lenore Janis recalls the industry when Professional Women in Construction (PWC) was founded (1980): “discrimination was wild…even for women who owned their own business. They couldn’t get contracts.” The equal rights movements and legislation of the 1960’s and 1970’s became the impetus that propelled women into the industry in the following decades. “In 1978 things started to improve because the federal government supported affirmative action,” explains Molly Martin, President of Tradeswomen, Inc., “Now…gender and sexual harassment are against the law...and people know what they’re not supposed to do. That makes our lives easier than anything else, I think, more of a level playing field. It’s the main thing that’s changed.”
Things did not change rapidly, however. Today there persists “sexism that keeps [women] from being hired,” according to Ms. Martin. This appears to be more prolific in blue-collar or trade positions. Conversely, to a large extent in professional, management, sales, and similar areas, this sexism has all but vanished. Indeed, Ms. Janis is quick to proclaim that there are a “tremendous number of jobs out there for women…women professionals have made an excellent impression on employers!” Laura Bailey’s experiences in the industry tell a similar story. Current Corporate Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Morrison Homes, the 24th largest homebuilding company in 2007 according to Professional Builder, she says, “I am very fortunate, I have never experienced [gender or sex discrimination] myself.” She admits, “the industry is probably seen from the outside as being very male oriented…but there are a lot of successful women in the industry. I’ve heard that [discrimination] question many times, but I honestly have never felt that way…I never have.”
While the status of women in building jobs has improved by leaps and bounds over the past few decades, a person paltering that women are completely equal with men is simply unbelievable. The fact remains that the uppermost executive positions of the largest companies are filled almost exclusively with men. There are only a handful of women leading companies in the top 100, as ranked by Professional Builder. “This glass ceiling,” jokes Ms. Janis, “is really more like a concrete ceiling.” With a hopeful demeanor she continues, “I would like to feel that it is because women have only been a part of this industry for a very short time.”
Another difficulty facing women in the industry is their disproportionately small numbers. The difference in the percentage of women that make up the construction workforce and the percentage of women that make up the total U.S. workforce is a telling sign that public perception has not changed significantly. The U.S. Department of Labor’s numbers in 2004 purport that only 2.5 % of the total construction workforce was composed of women (216,000 out of 8,522,000). Meanwhile, the numbers show women constituted 46% of the United States workforce in 2006. While women in the industry have made successful gains in being treated equitably, their numbers have yet to show serious signs of growth. The building industry has been and remains largely in the hands of males.
While there is likely a conundrum of diverse reasons for this stagnation, a few clear causes can be extracted. Most importantly, women in large measure ignore the construction industry as one available to them. This does not necessarily mean that they believe it is impossible for them to get a job in this industry. Rather, it may suggest the sustained influence of cultural stereotypes: “men are supposed to do construction and building and all that stuff” explained a female high school graduate during her interview. When asked what would most improve the status of women in construction, Ms. Janis responded: “Get rid of those Barbie and American girl dolls and get some coloring books out there with little girls driving trucks!” While half-joking, perhaps this comment is not too far off base. Along similar lines, because most women are not actively investigating the construction jobs market, “women don’t know about these jobs,” says Ms. Martin. With few or no companies putting money into outreach programs of any type, especially ones focused on women specifically, another generation of women is poised to primarily seek out jobs in fields other than construction and building. Furthermore, the sheer weight, if you will, of the percentage of men in the industry may be causing women to shy away from entering the building job workforce. “I never had many female coworkers,” says Ms. Martin, “I…was often the only female on my job.”
So, is it simply the fate of women in this industry to find themselves dispersed throughout a large host of male counterparts, or is there a feasible way to expand the number of women entering the field? The biggest challenge will likely be getting young women to subvert current and past cultural norms and consider a job in the construction industry. Accomplishing this will only be possible through exposure and encouragement starting as young as possible. Presentations and other involvement with local schools, high school and college career fairs, and coordination with career advisors and counselors could help young women develop a mindset that views the construction industry as offering a number of viable, fulfilling, and often lucrative positions. If more women enter the industry and rise through the ranks, the “concrete ceiling” is likely to crumble.
Women have been and remain a tiny percentage of the construction workforce. Over the past thirty years, this small number of enduring women has won long-deserved respect and largely equal treatment from an industry which was once unambiguously hostile towards them. These significant gains have opened the door to a younger generation of women who, sadly, retain the archaic predisposition to avoid the building industry. Fortunately, this generation of women, like the ones before them, contains a small, unique faction of women who relish the opportunity to jump into this male-dominated industry and make invaluable contributions of their own.
For these women interested in construction jobs, there are some resources that may be useful. First, nearly every major city has chapters of state and national organizations advocating women in the construction industry. For example, Ms. Martin’s organization represents mainly tradeswomen and manual workers (check them out at www.Tradeswomen.org). Alternatively, the organization Ms. Janis is President of, Professional Women in Construction (PWC), focuses on professionals and women owned businesses in the industry (www.pwcusa.org). For a broader, national organization, you may wish to explore the website of the National Association of Women in Construction (www.nawic.org). Also, I highly recommend checking the calendars of any local or national building and construction organizations for career fairs, conferences, and expos. For example, the PWC's National Trade Show and Professional Recruitment Fair will be held in New York, NY. On October 17th, a plethora of major companies and recruiters will converge in Manhattan, offering innumerable networking and informative opportunities for women in or looking to enter the industry. You can find more information on the trades show here or on PWC's main site, listed above. Additionally, feel free to write pwc@pwcusa.org with any inquiries. Additionally, nearly all major universities offer undergraduate and continuing education courses that allow for women of all ages to enter into the industry.
All the women I interviewed for this article stressed the point that women need to be active in creating and finding opportunities for themselves. Few, if any, companies, schools, or internship/apprenticeship programs advertise or promote themselves directly to women. “The only reason I have been successful is that I am extremely passionate about this business and about people,” explains Laura Bailey, who entered the business about 15 years ago without a college degree. She should serve as a role model for young women aspiring to leadership positions within the industry: if you are ambitious, committed, and willing to work vigorously, you can do well in this business. She suggests: “find the very best at what you’re trying to do, find that person and shadow them…the qualities of that person are what you’re going to have to emulate. Some people say ‘I want to work that hard…that’s great, I want to get into the business!’ Male or female, you have to be a passionate champion…and it is up to you to create your opportunities.”
Laura Bailey is the Corporate Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Morrison Homes of Alpharetta, GA. She has been in the industry for roughly 15 years, working for other major corporations such as Pulte and Beazer homes. www.morrisonhomes.com
Lenore Janis has been in the construction industry for over 30 years. She has gone from the owner of a WBE steel erection company to the president and co-founder of Professional Women in Construction (PWC), an advocacy group for women based in Manhattan. She was the first woman director of the Bureau of Building Management of the NYC Department of Sanitation in the mid 1980s. Janis has actively supported women in the industry through countless projects and contributions over the past several decades. www.pwcusa.org
Molly Martin is currently the president of the Tradeswomen, Inc. board of directors. She “has 17 years experience as an electrician and 15 years experience as an electrical inspector for the City and County of San Francisco She also taught electrical wiring at STEP-UP for Women in New England. Molly is a co-founder of Seattle Women in Trades (1979), San Francisco Women in the Trades (1984) and Tradeswomen Inc. (1979). She helped organize the first two National Tradeswomen Conferences in 1983 and 1989. Molly founded and was editor of the quarterly magazine Tradeswomen, and the author of Hard-Hatted Women: Stories of Struggle and Success in the Trades” (from Molly’s biography, found here).
Please post any comments or suggestions you have about this article here, on ConstructionJobsBlog.com. Alternatively, feel free to e-mail me any questions, comments, or suggestions you have at MAvera@TopBuildingJobs.com.
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