It’s been more than a decade since I swapped the showbiz world of sparkly dresses and high heels for the hard hats and high-vis’ of the construction industry. And I’ve never looked back.
In the construction industry I’ve found a supportive, collaborative and genuinely exciting space. A world with opportunities for growth, no matter your background. Importantly, for someone like me, that includes for women too.
So, with my second Constructing Conversations column tying perfectly with Women in Construction Week, I thought there was no better time to highlight – and hopefully inspire – the wonders of the construction industry for women.
If you’d asked me in my early 20s if I’d like to swap the buzz of London and the world of television for the hum and drum of construction sites, I’d likely have laughed. Little did I know I’d find a home here.
While my career on the marketing and business development side might not have me on site every day – as much as I’d love to – I feel deeply engrossed in the industry, from planning through to completion. And I love it.
That’s why I’m so passionate about raising awareness of the industry and making it a more diverse and inclusive space. For all its positives, it’s one area which undoubtedly needs improving. While I’ve never once felt like I’ve been discriminated against or disadvantaged because of my sex, the make-up of the industry is an elephant in the room that’s hard to ignore.
Women only make up 15% of the construction industry nationwide – on the tools, that’s even lower at less than 2%. And a huge reason behind that figure is the lack of representation for school leavers. Where are the role models for girls to look up to?
That was what inspired myself and my colleagues from across the region’s industry to set up Women in Construction Anglia (WICA) back in 2024. We have a simple mission – to champion opportunities, break barriers and build brighter futures for women in our industry. We’re not saying that women are better than men, we’re saying we deserve the same chances.
Once we’ve achieved that – our work is done. And I genuinely believe that is a tangible goal in the not so distant future should we continue to receive the levels of support we have so far. Genuine equality is possible.
Construction Anglia and our amazing readers have been instrumental in the growth of WICA from day one. They’ve helped us host events, seen us invited to speak in parliament, linked us up with some of the most inspiring people I have ever met.
But more importantly than any of that, they’ve helped us transform the lives of young women in our region. We have plenty of success stories of school leavers – and women working in other fields – taking their first steps into construction thanks to our work.
We’ve also looked to improve retention, creating a community of women in our industry who can support one another through whatever challenges they face. That community is key to ensuring the positive gains we make are not lost.
Hearing so many great stories means the absolute world to me and the amazing people supporting us here at WICA. They are the reason why, this year, we are looking to take the next step in our story and evolve into something even greater. A genuine force for good in our region.
You’ll hear more from me about that shortly – but what can you expect from us here at Construction Anglia this Women in Construction Week? We’ve got plenty of stories to share, from profile pieces to case studies – all written to inspire more people to join our fabulous industry.
All of us in the construction industry have the power to do something incredible and to unlock the doors to the heaps of talent on offer across our region.
So if you’d like to get involved – or have an inspiring story to tell – I’d love to hear from you. Visit our Contact Us page to find our details.
All that’s left for me to say is… Happy International Women’s Day for this Sunday, March 8!
