Cheers to all the women rocking jobs in construction! It’s Women in Construction Week, which warrants a big thank you to those designing and constructing the buildings we work in, the homes we live in, the roads we drive on, and so much more. It’s also time to raise awareness of the many career opportunities in the construction industry. Nationwide, only 10.9% of those working in construction are female. There’s no singular reason for this disparity, but those of us in marketing can start with considering how we portray those working in the industry.
A recent search for visual inspiration for a collage returned these results, including a scantily clad woman and another in a toolbelt looking confused. This isn’t helping.
I recently had the privilege of interviewing a woman new to the construction industry. Tisha Aguilar has one grandchild with another on the way. She had been working as a seamstress when she took a very uncomfortable leap into the world of construction. Listen to what she says about her anxieties and experiences as she began working as a heavy equipment operator. Her heartfelt response gave me goosebumps. THIS is the image of women in construction we need to show our daughters.
Thank you, Tisha, for your honesty, and thank you to all the women working hard to build the world around us. Happy Women in Construction Week!
