Construcciones Yamaro: Removing the barriers that push women out of construction
Research from the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) identifies workplace barriers affecting women’s retention in construction.
By Cathryn Greville, CEO of NAWIC.
Across the board, people stay in positive workplace environments that meet their needs, and NAWIC research shows that even in ‘supportive’ workplaces, there are still issues. This includes inadequate health and safety policies, a lack of basic amenities such as women’s toilets and lactation rooms, and unclear parental leave policies.
It’s also well past time to recognise menstrual products as necessities, not privileges, as we work to remove barriers to women’s workplace participation through culture change.
We are proud to support Share the Dignity’s Building Bloody Change campaign for menstrual equity, advocating for the provision of sanitary bins and free period products in the workplace. Our Chapters integrated the campaign into their International Women’s Day programs through the inclusion of donation boxes for sanitary items at local events.
Inadequate or inaccessible toilet facilities are one of the everyday signals that women are an afterthought in workplaces. However, dignity should not come with a price tag. Ensuring free access to period products is an essential step toward workplaces built on fairness, inclusion and respect, where everyone can thrive.
Our research shows that workplace microaggressions, including the lack of access to toilets and sanitary bins, can lead some women to reassess their future in the industry or their chosen role and often lead to exits from the sector entirely. This kind of attrition, as outlined in our The Not-So-Little Things Affecting Women in Construction report, is unsustainable in an industry experiencing a skills and labour shortage.
NAWIC’s parental leave research released last year also offers a pathway to creating equitable workplaces through clear and transparent access to leave benefits and pathways to return. With funding from the NSW Government’s Women in Construction Industry Innovation Program, NAWIC partnered with the University of Sydney Business School to conduct the Boosting Retention of Women in Construction: Supporting Women Through Parental Leave project.
Research has found that the transitional periods in and out of parental leave are pivotal in a woman’s decision to remain in or return to work. This report delves further into the lived experiences of women and offers a pathway to better parental leave support.
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The project found that women often go it alone, policies are patchy, there are often long hours and rigid roles, and minimal flexibility and support. The new generation of women (and men) entering the industry are expecting better. Along with the recommendations arising from the study is the launch of a practical toolkit designed for employers, managers and industry leaders, recognising the benefits well-managed parental leave and return to work provide for both employers and employees.
Our research findings also underpin our new Building Futures: Advancing Regional Women project being rolled out in regional Queensland and Brisbane to address microaggressions that negatively impact women.
With funding from the Queensland Government’s Office for Women, the project aims to upskill organisations and leaders and has begun preparing for in-person engagement sessions during March and April in Townsville, Toowoomba, Gladstone, Mackay and Brisbane.
These sessions will then inform the development of online training modules and practical workplace resources, grounded in real experiences from Queensland construction businesses. The project aims to build awareness and capability, particularly for leaders and line managers, and create simple, fit-for-purpose, implementable tools.
Creating safe, inclusive construction workplaces through culture change stands at the centre of NAWIC’s Organisational Strategy 2025–2028, and it was great to delve into our plans for the year ahead at our annual Face to Face event in February.
Our Board, Chapter leaders and NAWIC staff came together in Melbourne to discuss and workshop strategy, advocacy priorities, big picture thinking and NAWIC’s key goals.
I look forward to sharing more about our plans soon, including updates on the progress of our Allyship in Action: Transforming Culture to Attract and Retain Women project. This project earned $5 million in funding from the federal government’s flagship Building Women’s Careers Program last year, and is designed to engage with men and support upstanders to build fair, inclusive and respectful workplace cultures across the sector.
Visit www.sharethedignity.org.au to learn more about the Building Bloody Change campaign. Read more about our parental leave research project, including the toolkit, our microaggressions report and our Allyship in Action project, at www.nawic.com.au
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