Construction projects completed by teams with all female construction workers

Female construction workers across any of the industries that intersect with construction understand that there are differences between how men and women are represented in their field. And while the construction industry has a long way to go before true equality, it’s always nice to stop and celebrate the wins and the progress made over the years. The National Association of Women in Construction has previously written about female construction workers leading their own firms or projects – which you can find here and should definitely check out – but in today’s blog we’re covering a few of the industries all-female teams.

Yes, you read that correctly! These construction projects were completely by female-only construction workers. Here are just a few of the teams, past and present, who have worked to break the norms within a typically male-dominated industry.

Wheeler Mission Center for Women
Earlier this year, local media outlets in Indianapolis, Indiana highlighted the construction of the Wheeler Mission Center for Women – both for its important initiative of bringing shelter to homeless women and children, and because of the all-female electrical crew working to help complete the project. Leslie Hauk, Alexis Mitchell, and Lori Griffith are the three female construction workers who made up the electrical team responsible for all of the electrical work involved with the homeless shelter. And what’s even more impressive is that Alexis and Lori took Leslie under their wing as an apprentice throughout the project, making this already historic operation an educational one as well. The project took over a year to complete and included wiring nearly 164 bedrooms in the building.

Sundance Construction’s apartment project
Sundance Construction in Springfield, Montana employs just over 100 employees, ten of which are female construction workers. When it came time to put together a crew for the construction of a local apartment complex, the construction company’s owner decided to make a statement and give the talented female construction workers within his company some time to shine. The project was headed by his sister, an industry veteran, and included female construction workers that only had a few years of experience. Sundance Construction’s owner told Springfield news outlet KY3 that he wanted to put the crew of all female construction workers together to prove that there aren’t any gender boundaries to this kind of job.

The Presidio Tunnel Tops project
It wasn’t necessarily the plan for The Presidio Tunnel Tops park project in San Francisco to have a team of all female construction workers, but it was certainly a happy coincidence for all involved. The massive project included 5.6 hectares of national parkland and views of the San Francisco landmark the Golden Gate Bridge. The project’s design manager, Noreen Murphy Hughes, told news outlet The Bold Italic that all of the female construction workers on the project, “…play off each other very well…” noting that, “… no one feels like they can’t ask questions, [or] bounce off ideas…” The Presidio Tunnel Tops project was funded mostly by donors, reaching a total just shy of $100 million.

How to learn more about NAWIC’s mission to support construction women
With the addition of a dedicated diversity, equity, and inclusion training committee, NAWIC is confident that the gaps between construction women and men can begin to close. And while membership is only open to construction women within the industry, men are always welcome at any conferences and events to show support and to learn from female colleagues.

The National Association of Women in Construction now has over 117 local chapters across the United States, which makes it very easy for female builders to connect with our network of professionals. Membership is open to all construction women and NAWIC is able to provide members with amazing resources to help them gain confidence in their abilities and develop more leadership skills. Any female builders interested in becoming a NAWIC member can apply for membership by using either the online form or downloadable application to fill out and mail in – both of which are available on the NAWIC website. There are also several membership options available with flexible pricing and membership terms. To learn more about the female builders and powerful construction women involved in NAWIC or if you have any questions about membership, contact us through our social media pages.