Seeing women on construction sites tends to be a rarity. And, for female workers in the industry, their presence can result in quite a few turned heads. With construction work typically classed as a “man’s job”, women make up just a small 11% of the industry. And only 1% of these are actually on the tools, on site.

So what’s causing this? Well, according to new research, almost three-quarters of women working in the industry feel that they are discriminated against.

The research found that 73% of women working in the industry have felt that they have been discriminated against in the workplace because of their gender. In fact, 47% of female construction workers felt that they were discriminated against before they even got the job; discrimination began at the interview stage.

A report conducted by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors also supports this view of discrimination against women within the industry. Specifically, their report addressed the fact that almost a third of female construction workers stated that the “fear of sexism” has stopped them from pursuing more senior roles within the industry.

30% also admitted that they had fears of sexism too when it came to their choice of career. And, 39% felt that not enough is done to attract women to join the construction sector.

With construction being deemed a “man’s job”, it can even be hard for female construction workers to find the right gear to get the job done. Typically tailored for men, women can even, at times, be discriminated against via workwear.

Continue reading the full article on the On The Tools page: http://onthetools.tv/women-site-discrimination/

Statistics: www.constructionnews.co.uk, www.wearethecity.com