“My wife is a house painter… so what? What’s the problem?”
A growing number of women are entering the construction industry to build their careers, embracing their passion for their work. In an industry where 90% of jobs are held by men, what is the professional experience like for these women?
Marion Polge, University of Montpellier; Agnès Paradas, University of Avignon ; Caroline Debray, University of Montpellier and Colette Fourcade, University of Montpellier
Above all, are we witnessing a transformation of the construction trades sector, or, more broadly, a shift in society?
The study conducted by the CoCréatec Chair (University of Montpellier Foundation), funded by the European Social Fund (2016–2018), shows that women are now entering this sector with new ambitions, bringing a breath of fresh air that is driving improvements in overall performance.
Although our survey found that only 60% of tradespeople view the arrival of women in their companies as somewhat or very favorable, the push toward gender diversity in certain trades is becoming a reality. The survey included women and men, business owners, employees, and stakeholders working in the construction sector. Everyone agrees on the need to grant women genuine status as leaders and hands-on tradespeople, particularly by combating stereotypes.
This is evident from the series of verbatim transcripts below.
Overcoming the physical obstacle
The demanding nature of certain construction trades remains a reality, especially in structural work (activities involved in building a structure’s framework): material handling, moving heavy loads, and physical labor.
“I’m supposed to work until I’m 73—can you imagine having to redo a ceiling?”
“There’s still a lot of heavy lifting involved, and for me, that alone is a barrier to women entering this profession.”
But the activities of construction companies are not limited to these physical aspects:
"Apart from lifting very heavy weights, a woman can perform the same tasks as a man."
In the public mind, the physical demands of certain trades remain a barrier, while in others, such as carpentry, gender diversity is becoming more common in training centers.
Robert Kneschke/Shutterstock
Nevertheless, this physical barrier appears to be surmountable. First, technological advances have made it possible to reduce the physical workload, making it easier for women to enter the field while also lightening the load for men. Second, the women interviewed demonstrated great ingenuity in overcoming physical barriers (hiring employees and temporary workers, collaborating with other companies, securing positions on suitable construction sites, etc.). Ultimately, the physical difficulty seems to be more of a perception than a reality on construction sites.
The real problem today is that “we don’t have representation across all trades.” Women’s resumes are missing from certain fields; girls are also virtually absent from certain training programs, despite the gender diversity policy initiated by the Ministry of Education and subsequently rolled out by regional education offices. So what’s still holding us back?
The answer might be… all of us
Parents, business owners, clients, colleagues, friends, spouses, neighbors, children… the study clearly shows that societal pressure significantly dampens women’s motivation. The family circle exerts a particularly strong dissuasive influence on young people. Even when parents are artisans themselves, they discourage their daughters from entering the trade:
“From the very beginning, my father told me that being a painter wasn’t a profession for women.”
The challenge most commonly cited by female business leaders is also present in this sector: family responsibilities. In fact, these responsibilities are highlighted far more by the partners of women working in the construction industry than by the women themselves: “We don’t know what time we’ll finish… it’s a bit complicated.”
Another barrier to gender diversity in the building trades stems from a social obstacle, perpetuated by stereotypes associated with a divide between different trades.
“There needs to be gender diversity in all professions, not just in the construction industry.” (a woman’s words)
“We’re not providing our young people with the right information. In my opinion, this is intentional.” (remark by a man lamenting the underrepresentation of women among young apprentices)
There are numerous accounts describing societal barriers. The study clearly shows that the roughness often attributed to this sector is, in reality, merely a reflection of a society that associates construction tradespeople with an exaggerated sense of masculinity. Take, for example, this female carpenter, to whom a client replied:
“But are you the carpenter? Well, then I don’t want a quote—a carpenter is a man, and I don’t want your services!”
From “artisan’s wife” to “artisans”
Stereotypes help shape our perception of others. In a way, they organize our view of society by categorizing the population. On the other hand, they risk limiting women’s roles to primarily administrative tasks, since the collective unconscious ofthe 20th century has taught us that there are “artisans’ wives” but not “female artisans.” The “artisan’s wife” assists her husband, while the “female artisan” takes on the role of business owner.
Stereotypes become truly dangerous when they turn into prejudices—that is, when they reach a discriminatory level that equates a supporting role with incompetence in leadership. What our study shows is the prevalence of shared responsibility between women and men in these prejudices. Some revel in their leadership roles, while others, shaped by a patriarchal upbringing, slip comfortably into the shadows of the former. More surprisingly, we found no generational divide in these behaviors.
“They’re different”: the traditional view
Stereotypes can be negative, stemming from practical constraints due to the physically demanding nature of certain construction activities.
“These are physically demanding jobs… it’s true that for a woman, it might be a little challenging.”
But the stereotypical view also includes non-discriminatory aspects, reflected in the perceptions of both men and women. When it comes to management and organization, women appear to be better:
“The difference on construction sites is the organization. For starters, they show up on time for meetings… They’re much more disciplined than the guys.” (a man’s words)
Mark Agnor/Shutterstock
Women are also valued in customer relations:
“In people’s minds, having a woman do the work reassures them that the job site will be clean.”
Finally, women are seen as having better relationships not only with employees but also with partners. As a result, their role as operations manager appears to be an integral part of the day-to-day operations of small businesses, even though it is not formally recognized or contractually defined.
“What’s a woman doing on a construction site?”: hostile discrimination
The look can be downright disapproving:
“Sometimes we get the feeling, we sense, that we’re taking up space…”
But more often than not, the issue of professional recognition arises—and it is a difficult one.
“I’m not going to let some woman tell me how to do my job.”
In any case, mistakes—or even simple clumsiness—are not tolerated when made by a woman on construction sites (whereas they would be accepted if made by a male tradesman…).
“I’m not sure I would have been tested if I were a man”: excessive professional demands
When a woman arrives at a construction site, she feels as though she is being put through a trial imposed by her male colleagues. Her competence is automatically called into question:
“They’re expressing doubts… They don’t trust us.”
Women are expected to demonstrate a higher level of mastery of their craft than male artisans; they must prove themselves. But once their skill is recognized and their technical mastery is established:
“Men are even more impressed.”
Are women the future of the construction industry?
The term “entrepreneurial” used to describe women’s motivations for entering the construction trades is justified for two reasons: professionalization and capability.
A demonstration of technical expertise
Women entering the construction trades is a career choice (not a default option):
“I didn’t choose this profession because it was a man’s job; I chose it because I liked it.” (a woman’s words)
As a result, women demonstrate a high degree of professionalism in their work:
“When they say they’re going to do something, they do it.” (as a man once said)
Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock
This (stereotypical?) perception that men have of women’s professionalism appears to drive their desire to bring more women into the technical aspects of their field. The men interviewed acknowledged that they pay closer attention to the quality of their work when there are women on their teams. Gender diversity could thus help boost corporate performance by fostering greater professional rigor across the board.
“Personally, I like having both men and women on the team: I like it because, as a result, we’re all better together.” (words of a craftsman)
Demonstrating capability: the foundation of entrepreneurial drive
Although they are expected to demonstrate their skills, these women are confident in their abilities.
“A woman can stay true to herself, see it through to the end… there’s no reason not to.”
These motivations drive an entrepreneurial mindset, leading to the decision to start a business. This explains the high proportion of sole proprietorships founded by women in the sample analyzed.
The individual, organizational, social, and economic performance indicators we have measured show significant improvement when there is gender diversity in the construction trades. Not only does the work environment become more harmonious, but professionalism also improves both within companies and on job sites where multiple trades are involved. This only reinforces the importance of challenging the many stereotypes that still exist.
Marion Polge, Associate Professor (HDR) in Management Sciences, University of Montpellier; Agnès Paradas, Senior Lecturer in Management Sciences, University of Avignon ; Caroline Debray, Associate Professor of Management Sciences – SME Management, University of Montpellier and Colette Fourcade, Honorary Associate Professor, University of Montpellier
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Readthe original article.