Construcciones Yamaro: Why research on women in construction matters
With global participation data in focus, Dr Gretchen Gagel outlines how research informs efforts to increase women’s participation in construction.
By Dr Gretchen Gagel.
I recently asked a long-term friend and US construction executive, who once led construction for one of the largest technology companies, what percentage of US electricians he felt were female. His response: 15 per cent. The actual number: 2.6 per cent. Ten years ago, it was 2.1 per cent. I went on to ask several more leaders and received responses ranging from a more accurate two per cent to highs of eight to 12 per cent.
The US is facing data centre construction slowdowns because of a labour shortage in most trades, including electricians. Women are one element of the solution to this construction talent shortage at every level. I believe we have a better grasp on this data in Australia, but tracking the participation of women in construction remains critical to determining whether progress is being made. It starts with solid data and research – the numbers to see if they are moving, and research into challenges and solutions that help focus our actions on the right strategies.
Starting with data
How does Australia compare to the rest of the world? Our first white paper at the International Institute for Women in Construction (IIWIC) answered that question. Australia is fourth highest in the world at 13.2 per cent female participation. China is in the lead with 16 per cent and Thailand at 15.5 per cent. The UK level of female participation is 14.9 per cent, and the US is fifth with 11.1 per cent. Globally, female participation in construction is 8.69 per cent.
Not only do we need good data, but we also need global research that helps us understand the challenges and success of attracting, developing and retaining women in construction. IIWIC worked with our research collaborators to synthesise more than 40 global studies on the barriers to attracting women to the trades. Via this distillation, we were able to identify four root causes:
- Lack of awareness of construction as a viable career;
- limited access to apprenticeship programs;
- unconscious bias and dominant culture, including bullying and harassment; and
- lack of work schedule flexibility, travel requirements, childcare and work stability.
Progress in Australia
The good news is that there are efforts happening throughout the world to improve our ability to attract, develop and retain women in construction. The IIWIC, in collaboration with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), the Australian Constructors Association (ACA) and the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Australia, published our first country-specific white paper highlighting various initiatives. These include:
The National Construction Industry Forum (NCIF): The Australian Federal Government established the NCIF as an ongoing statutory advisory body. Chaired by the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, the NCIF comprises representatives of employees (trade unions) and employers. On 22 September 2025, the NCIF endorsed a Blueprint for the Future as a commitment to addressing structural and cultural issues in the Australian construction industry and driving reform. It identified workplace inequality, gender inequities and discrimination, including systemic underrepresentation, inflexible work arrangements and inadequate amenities as priority challenges. It also included recommendations to help boost skills and women’s employment in the industry.
Construction Industry Culture Taskforce (CICT): In 2018, the CICT was established as a collaboration between the ACA and the State Governments of New South Wales and Victoria. The CICT was chaired by Gabrielle Trainor AO and membership included executive leaders from the ACA, Australia’s largest construction contracting organisations, government agencies and client organisations. This public-private sector collaboration sought to address aspects of the construction industry culture believed to be holding back productivity and performance. To achieve this, a Culture Standard was developed establishing requirements for construction companies to implement in the delivery of projects. These requirements addressed three interrelated pillars: workers’ health and wellbeing, workforce inclusion and diversity, and time for life.
ACA Culture Pledge: In 2023, the ACA, representing Australia’s largest construction companies, made a commitment to improving the culture of the construction industry in order to address the skills shortage and create more diverse and inclusive construction workplaces. The ACA Culture Pledge includes three components:
- To establish workplace flexibility policies that would guarantee every employee has genuine access to flexible work arrangements;
- to ensure that 75 per cent of ACA member organisations achieve ‘Employer of Choice’ citation by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) by 2028; and
- to attract women from other industries and backgrounds by leveraging and pooling the national resources of ACA members to promote the industry and the benefits of a career in construction.
NAWIC Australia: NAWIC has been awarded $5 million in funding under the Australian Government’s Building Women’s Careers (BWC) Program. This funding will support NAWIC’s Allyship in Action: Transforming Culture to Attract and Retain Women project. The project will directly combat poor attitudes and behaviours in the industry and engage men in driving positive change to reduce gender bias, promote an inclusive culture and support women’s advancement in all sectors of the industry. This project commenced in April 2025 and will run through to March 2028.
Many more local government, association, and construction industry organisation initiatives are detailed in this paper located on the IIWIC website.
Research is critical to helping us solve the challenge of attracting, developing and retaining women in construction as it provides the data on our progress, the details of the challenges, and the inspiration of our successes.
Dr Gretchen Gagel, GAICD, founder and CEO of the International Institute for Women in Construction (iiwic.org), is a member of the National Academy of Construction and a leader respected for her four-decade career of strategic advisement in the construction industry. Gretchen is passionate about leading change in the construction industry and developing future leaders. You can hear more from Gretchen on the Greatness Podcast and her book, Building Women Leaders: A Blueprint for Women Thriving in Construction, is available on Amazon. Find out more at gretchengagel.com
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