IWD2023

It probably hasn’t escaped your attention that today is International Women’s Day, but if it has skipped past you, let me give you the top line: the day is a global initiative started over 100 years ago on the topic of gender parity for women. The day has reached the mainstream in the last few years owing to the increasingly buoyant conversation around gender equality, and the positive effects are hard to deny.

Women in Construction

We’re celebrating 10 years of Cladspray this year, and it’s interesting to assess whether the road towards gender equality has travelled as far in the construction industry. As a female director of a company in the construction industry, though, it got me thinking about whether the same kind of parity can be seen, and what is being done to address the balance.

Here at Cladspray, we’re hugely proud to be included in the Financial Times’ seventh annual ranking of Europe’s fastest-growing companies, the FT1000. As one of only five construction & engineering companies in the prestigious list, we’re very glad to represent the industry among our counterparts. As a growing company, we recognise the importance of creating and sustaining an attractive working environment for all. This plays out through our family values; all caregivers in our organisation, regardless of gender should be afforded the flexibility needed to respond to the needs of your family.

This is something that I know all too well as a working mother and Director of the company. Since coming on board in 2016, I have balanced the needs of my young family with the demands of the company. It’s something that women up and down the country have to juggle on a daily basis. Women should not have to choose between work or parenting; even if childcare is readily available or affordable, a parent or caregiver should be making an active choice on the number of hours they can commit to the workplace. It’s been important to me that this attitude and working practice permeates throughout the entire company, not just stopping at director level.

Embrace Equity

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is #EmbraceEquity. It’s an interesting shift away from the term “equality”, which is essentially striving for the same thing for all. Equity, by contrast, recognises that opportunities should be given proportionally to their recipient based on their circumstances. The point is illustrated in their cartoon, below.

Now, if you take women in work in general, the idea of equity over equality could be a problematic one, as it could be an excuse to limit choices or opportunities for women based on the perception of the amount of time they have at work, versus their caring responsibilities. Take up of Shared Parental Leave, for example, is only still estimated to have around a 2-8% take up, leaving the burden of childcare predominantly on women. If women are perceived to have less time at work, their equitable share of opportunities could be lower.  

Looking at the statement positively, however, equity over equality is a relevant notion for the construction industry. Women previously have been judged by the same metrics as men in construction, but women don’t just work on par with their male counterparts; research has found that “gender diversity encourages the creation of a more adaptable and resilient work-force and increases productivity by 15%”. Similarly, a study published in the Harvard Business Review suggested that teams with greater gender diversity were “more effective at problem-solving and decision-making.” Those are arguably essential qualities for workers in the construction industry. 

Changing the Face of Construction

There is no doubt that there is a skill shortage in the construction industry, and rather than play out the same conversation of looking overseas, or reaching unsustainable levels of pay for subcontractors, the organisation Women into Construction – and the contractors they work with – recognise that there is already 50% of the population who may be overlooked. By running employment and training schemes across the country, they are hoping to “change the face of construction.” 

As much as companies have an immediate responsibility to look towards achieving gender equality within their workforce, the imbalance starts from infancy and into education. As an employer and trainer, we’re aware of making our apprenticeship and training opportunities desirable and accessible to all genders. We’re hoping that this entry level filters down and starts to address the issue of equality vs. equity. 

For this year’s IWD 2023, we’d like to further the conversation and ask our fellow construction industry peers:

• How are your training opportunities inclusive to all genders? 
• How do you advocate for the women in your company? 
• Is equal opportunity the same as equitable opportunity? 

Kim Carter 
Director – Cladspray Solutions