Shaping Structures, Sharing Stories: Empowering Women in the Construction World

In a rapidly shifting cultural landscape, the construction and design industries have taken significant strides towards gender equality. Despite these gains, we must keep the conversation moving and listen to the inspirational women who have already shaped the future in such a historically male-dominated space.

What better way to pass on wisdom and share unique perspectives than on International Women’s Day? To celebrate, we gathered five inspirational, trailblazing and endlessly talented women who have made the construction and design industries their own. Our guests, kind enough to give up time on a Thursday evening, were:

●      Natasha Bonugli, Founder and Creative Director - The Bon Collective

●      Amelia Christie, Director - Christie Constructive

●      Dipalee Jukes, Founder - Ground and Water

●      Greta Kriovaite, Design Principal - Woodalls

●      Siu Mun Li - Director for the UK’s Temporary Works forum

Suffice it to say the conversation lived up to expectations.

Below, we've distilled our uplifting chat into five key themes, including the importance of empathy, encouraging female voices in the construction world and overcoming imposter syndrome. Let’s take a look.

On-site challenges

Our guests all agreed that on-site barriers for women still exist. As Greta noted, even bricks have been specifically designed to fit into a man’s hand. It’s not an easy battle when sexism is so deeply ingrained in a culture.

There are still enormous hurdles for women in the industry to jump, whether it’s too few toilets, insufficient PPE, or a lack of respect for female staff. Even so, when contrasting her work life today with the start of her career, Siu pointed out the changes in attitude that have been made. When she started her career, Siu was very often the only woman on site, but things are different these days. The generation taking the torch is much less tolerant of sexism in the workplace, and the future looks exceptionally bright in this respect.

Embracing empathy

At the heart of our conversation was empathy, both for other women and their allies. In male-dominated spaces, embracing vulnerability can be misunderstood and left to the side, with many women feeling that they must act ‘tough’ to succeed. All our guests mentioned that authentically expressing their emotions and not pretending to be something they’re not has transformed their careers. These traits have been undervalued for too long, especially in the construction industry, from board level down to site workers.

Understanding the importance of empathy is hugely beneficial for both men and women. As Amelia mentioned, being soft and kind isn’t a weakness; it’s a superpower.

Battling imposter syndrome

Each of our guests also shared their experiences battling imposter syndrome and the obstacles that come with it. With 75% of women at executive level struggling with imposter syndrome, something needs to change.

Natasha and Amelia both stressed the importance of trusting your instincts and believing that you’re good enough to be in the room. Amelia also mentioned the disparity in self-confidence between men and women during the interview process. In her experience, men tended to ask for more money than their abilities warranted. At the same time, many women undersold themselves and felt that they weren’t entitled to the higher wages they deserved. At times, she’s had to step in and encourage female applicants to put more faith in themselves.

Unfortunately, men in powerful positions usually view feminine confidence and assertiveness negatively. Research backs this sentiment up, with one study showing that in their performance reviews, 66% of women received unfavourable feedback on their assertiveness. Our speakers have seen this with their own eyes in boardrooms up and down the country.

Battles with imposter syndrome have made the women on our panel stronger and more confident than ever while also giving them the tools to extend a helping hand to the new generation. As Natasha succinctly put it, ‘Without discomfort, there’s no learning.’

Balancing work and life as a mum

Dipalee ripped up the rulebook when it came to being a first-time mum. Rather than stepping back, she made the admirable decision to start her own business. Strict organisation were vital to her success in both motherhood and business, all while enjoying the challenges that both presented her. In her words, kids change your perspective and reset your priorities, which can be surprisingly advantageous career-wise. Both Amelia and Natasha emphasised that there is *never* a suitable time to have to start a family - if the opportunity is there, take it.

Of course, there’s still a balance to be had. Women in construction can often feel pressured to say ‘yes’ to certain opportunities, but our speakers agreed that saying ‘no’ with confidence and without guilt should always be an option.

When asked about their greatest regrets throughout their successful careers, Amelia’s biggest was taking two years out to focus on motherhood. Her advice? ‘Don’t pause, keep going!’

Helping the next generation

 Throughout their careers, our guests found role models in the construction and design industry particularly hard to come by. They all talked about the sea of white male faces that dominate boardrooms and the frustrating, almost intimidating impact this can sometimes have. In the absence of other women, Greta and Dipalee underlined the power that being a role model can have when there’s nobody else to draw inspiration from.

For young people looking to enter the industry, stepping up and becoming that progressive influence can be life-changing. Research suggests that many girls' confidence takes a nosedive as early as the age of eight, so it’s crucial that we imbed notions of confidence, belief and self-assurance from an early age. Women in powerful positions can be the role models young girls so desperately need.

At the end of our conversation, it was clear that building a bigger table was the key to future progress. Diversity will not only bring much-needed structural changes in the construction world but also unleash the boundless creativity that has been suppressed for too long. Ultimately, the more voices we listen to, the stronger we become.

Women: never sell yourself short. It’s time to shake up the industry.