JENNIFER KEENAHAN, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, UCD, and board member of WITS Ireland, writes about the barriers and everyday challenges that must be addressed to create a more accessible and comfortable construction workplace for women.
“I could do with a travel potty. It’s hard to find toilets when you are out in the middle of nowhere visiting some site.”
A direct quote from a longstanding WhatsApp conversation with a close group of female engineers I’ve known for over 15 years – we first met during our engineering studies at UCD. There’s no doubt that the Irish construction industry is booming, with projects underway across the country. And after the crash of 2008, this can only be a good thing. However, there’s a persistent lack of gender diversity. While women excel in various construction-related roles like architecture and surveying and are increasingly visible in administrative and support roles, they remain vastly underrepresented in civil and construction engineering. Why is this?
THE CURRENT STATE-OF-PLAY
Reliable data pinpointing the exact number of women in construction engineering roles in Ireland is scarce. However, Engineers Ireland, the national representative body for engineers, provides a glimpse. In 2022, only 17% of registered engineers in Ireland were women. Women represent just 12% of the engineering profession as a whole, with an even smaller percentage involved directly in construction. This disparity prompts a critical examination of why the sector struggles to attract and retain women, especially when compared to fields like MedTech and pharma.
THE ALLURE OF OTHER SECTORS
MedTech and pharma are often perceived as more progressive, offering better work-life balance, boasting a more prominent female presence, fostering a sense of belonging and mentorship and offering more robust career development opportunities. The allure of high-tech environments, cutting-edge research, and the possibility of contributing to life-saving technologies can be very appealing.
Construction, on the other hand, is often seen as less innovative and more physically demanding, with long hours and often requiring on-site presence in a male-centric culture, which can deter potential female talent.
A PIPELINE PROBLEM?
Encouragingly, the ratio of women entering construction engineering courses has seen a gradual increase. Data from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) indicates that female enrolment in civil engineering courses has risen by approximately 5% over the past decade, and at UCD, the gender split of first-year students entering engineering programmes has increased to nearly 35%.
However, significant barriers remain to increasing these numbers. Shockingly, in this day and age, many girls still do not have access to higher-level mathematics at leaving certificate level.
THE WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT
Our close-knit WhatsApp group of highly competent women work in various roles in construction engineering in Ireland. Yet, commonly, when we go site, a fella will say: “Oh, I was talking to your boss about this”. Said boss turns out to be the entry-level junior engineer.
When we arrive on-site, “the comments start to roll in about the pretty face and nice nails,” although they are usually “Water off a duck’s back, otherwise I wouldn’t be there”. We developed a robust intuition for sexist behaviour we want to avoid. “We can tell on day one who was sexist based by how they spoke about their wives or lack of ”.
In 2019, our WhatsApp group celebrated the fact that flame-retardant pants for ladies had become available. In 2020, we also celebrated when we were able to get our hands on maternity-fit site gear designed for women’s bodies. We can’t just wear a larger men’s size – it’s unnecessary, uncomfortable and poses safety risks.
On a particularly bad day, one of us shared:
“I’m shaking today with the shite that’s been thrown at me on site. It’s squeaky bum time, and some of the lads’ true colours are shining through under pressure” “They started telling me ‘To go away and get the fry on’.”
And yet, our chat is full of humour, too. In one of our workplaces, A woman once asked why there was a men-only mailing list during a heated debate on gender. We all knew that it was “For scolding the gents over the state of the toilets”.
WITS Ireland
Women in Technology & Science Ireland (WITS Ireland) is an independent, voluntary organisation supporting women in STEM. Our aim is to attract and retain more women to STEM careers, championing the importance of greater diversity in STEM and encouraging more conversations like this one.
Research shows that women are often less likely to speak up in meetings, especially when they are in the minority. They are less likely to apply for new roles or promotions unless they meet all the criteria (Generally, men will apply when they meet about 50% because they are more confident taking the chance on it).
You can start to see the challenges when you side this with experiences myself and my colleagues have had in the workplace, which is what makes WITS’ work so important and still so necessary today.
Jean O’Donnell, Chair, WITS Ireland, comments: “We want to give the amazing women in our organisation the confidence and skills required to push themselves forward for promotion opportunities. We want to ensure that we are supporting the development of future CEOs and leaders, and we do this through regular coaching workshops, seminars and by partnering with other organisations who have the same goals.”
DON’T WASTE TIME PINKWASHING!
The Irish construction industry has a unique opportunity to tap into a vastly under-utilised talent pool. The industry can not only attract more women but benefit from the diverse perspectives and experiences they bring. We can address the gender gap by creating a more inclusive environment.
This article was prepared with the support of Vision Contracting. To become a member or learn more about WITS Ireland, email info@witsireland.com