Seven Articles Women in Construction Need to Read

These articles are must-reads for women working in the construction industry. From the gender pay gap to PPE, these articles cover it all.

How Women in Construction Are Rising Up in a Male Dominated Industry
In this article from Fixr, women in construction share their experiences about what it is like to work in the industry today. Also featured are the latest statistics from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics highlighting how “women are breaking down barriers in the industry, growing their numbers, and taking on more leadership roles. “

Women in Construction Aren’t Silent Anymore. They are Using TikTok to Battle Gender Discrimination
Workwear Guru dug deep through TikTok hashtags #womeninconstruction and #womenintrades to understand how women construction workers are using social media to fight back against gender discrimination in the construction industry. Learn more from their in-depth analysis and interviews.

What’s Working: Women in construction — where gender pay equity is 94.3%
Here’s some good news. Women construction workers earn nearly as much as their male counterparts. Sure, there is still work to do, but compared to the national average of all occupations, women in construction earn nearly 13% more than the average female worker in other fields.

Forget one-size-fits-all: Why PPE built for women means safer working conditions
This article from On-Site magazine explores why PPE for women construction workers needs to be more than just smaller versions of PPE designed for men. Read about how the safest PPE for women in construction fits their size and body type.

Jobs from Washington’s big infrastructure law will be ‘more fairly distributed’ thanks to this one provision, advocates say 
How do “local hire” and “targeted hire” initiatives impact women in construction? “Washington’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure law includes a provision allowing states and localities to do targeted hiring of local people and certain marginalized groups — language that’s critical, its supporters say, because it should boost the number of people of color, women and low-income Americans who benefit from the bipartisan spending package.”

Inside San Francisco’s $1 million bet on female construction workers
San Francisco’s construction industry training program, Mission Rock Academy, is training women in the trades and creating a “pipeline of female workers” to meet demand for workers at the Mission Rock project near Giants stadium, and beyond.

Keane: Women in Construction: The Road I Built
A veteran female construction leader, Peggy Keane of PSEG Long Island, shares her journey from “teenaged summer laborer to vice president of an electric service provider – and what I learned along the way.”

The National Association of Women in Construction builds female construction leaders.
The National Association of Women in Construction provides women construction workers of all experience levels with opportunities for professional development, education, networking, leadership training, and public service. NAWIC has 118 chapters throughout the United States – and even has ties internationally. Membership is open to any women in construction throughout the industry. Connect with other women construction workers and find educational materials and training resources to help build more confidence and develop leadership skills. Any women in construction interested in joining NAWIC can apply for membership by using either the online form or the downloadable application to fill out and mail in. Several membership options are available for flexible pricing and membership terms. To learn more about our work to unite construction women in the industry and inspire future female construction leaders through membership with NAWIC, contact us through social media, our website, or our “find a NAWIC chapter near you” tool.