Women have made amazing strides in many fields and industries throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Unfortunately, there are many others in which it remains a big challenge for a woman to rise to the top — or even, in some cases, to enter the industry at all. Construction has traditionally been one of those industries, with just 9 percent of the construction workforce composed of women.
It’s true that the obstacles for women in the construction trades are numerous. Some obstacles are big: Sexual harassment is still all too common on job sites, and women often aren’t taken seriously when applying for construction jobs. Some are smaller, but still important, such as the fact that women’s high visibility clothing isn’t always easily available. Put together, all of these factors and more can make it unfairly challenging for women to succeed in construction.