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THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: AN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE

Conference Paper · January 2016

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THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: AN INDIAN
PERSPECTIVE

Prof. Reshma L. Patel*, Dr. Jayeshkumar Pitroda†
*Associate Professor, Civil Engineering Department, BVM Engineering College, Vallabh

Vidyanagar, Gujarat, India,

†Assistant professor, Civil Engineering Department, BVM Engineering College, Vallabh

Vidyanagar, Gujarat, India

Abstract
This paper analyses the factors influencing the role of women’s in construction
industry. It is observed that women have a role to play in the construction industry and that
they can build successful careers within the sector. However, it is not easy to work in this
industry in liu of given the various barriers to entry such as gender‐based discrimination
against them, the harsh work environment of the construction site, the lack of sufficient
knowledge about the industry itself and the shortage of successful women in construction as
role models. It is hoped that it will stimulate debate about how the low representation of
women in construction can be addressed and how construction careers for women can be
promoted and encouraged and that the resource pool will be enlarged given the prevalent
acute skills shortage in the industry. The present study aims at identifying the major issues related
to workplace culture of women construction industry, analyzing the major health and safety issues
at construction sites.

Keyword
Role of women, Construction industry, Issues
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
Construction sector is the world’s largest industrial employer with seven per cent of
total world employment and 28 per cent of industrial employment. According to the
International Labour Organization (ILO), construction jobs in most countries are undertaken
almost exclusively by men. However, in the countries of South Asia women often perform
important but unskilled tasks for low pay. In India it is estimated that up to 30 per cent of
construction workers are women. They are integrated into the bottom end of the industry,
as unskilled workers or head‐load carriers.

Construction Industry: An Indian Scenario
Latest market research report [2014] by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) highlights:

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1. The Construction industry in India expects a growth rate of 7‐8% per annum over the
next 10years.
2. The Construction sector is one of the largest contributors to economic activity, after
the agriculture sector, in India.
3. Construction employs an estimated 35 million people and is a significant driver of
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows.
4. The industry remains highly fragmented, though the share of the ‘organized’ players
is growing rapidly – accounting for about 50% of the industry today.
5. The 12‐15 largest contractors account for an estimated 15‐20% of the market.

Very little is known about the role of women in construction industry and the factors
hindering the equal presence of men and women, despite wide participation of women in
science and engineering. The premise of WOMEN‐CORE is to determine whether women are
under‐represented in construction research and, how women’s experiences may differ from
those in the construction sector and those in academic and industrial research. Given the
nature of both construction sector and scientific research cultures, it may be that
construction research represents a ‘double hurdle’ for women seeking a career in this field.
There are many studies discussing the reasons why female workers shy away from the
construction industry as a whole and the craft sector in particular. Among the common
barriers are social acceptances of employment, sexually‐inappropriate occupation, sexual
discrimination, sexual harassment, physical incapability, unqualified for blue‐collar jobs and
labour conditions such as extreme weather, unsociable work‐hours and exposure to hazards.
Contrary, there have been few studies focusing on factors influencing women entry into
construction and what their expectations are [Bennett et al, 1999].
More specifically in the construction industry with the number of women presently low,
the implication is that individuals, the industry, and ultimately the community all suffer the
consequences of only fully utilizing the potential of one gender. Women are therefore, a
wasted resource. However prevailing attitudes suggest change will not be easy because the
dominantly male makeup of the construction industry is a deterrent to women who fear
isolation, discrimination and harassment should they pursue careers in that sector.
The participation of women in the building sector is an exception rather than a rule. In
most countries of the world the building industry is almost exclusively the domain of men.
In India a large number of women are actively involved in the construction process itself. In
spite of their large numbers, women construction workers are seen as secondary/
temporary workers with seldom any opportunities for training, upward mobility, wage
guarantees, fringe benefits or social protections. This study aim to explore role of women in
construction industry and how it operates from the perspectives of the various role players
in the industry, namely, the workers, contractors, intermediaries etc. The purpose is to map
the existing knowledge base on the role of women workers and to identify from these
mapping key issues that need to be critically examined if opportunities for women in the
industry are to be enhanced. The idea has been to make vivid the experience that women
have on a construction site and draw from their account implications, issues and problems

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that one needs to address while formulating a public policy and modifying the practice. The
construction industry remains one of the least researched industries in India. There is very
little research published or reliable data on numbers, working and socio‐economic
conditions and the position of women workers within the construction industry.
Objectives of Study: The present study aims at identifying the major issues related to
workplace culture of women construction industry, analyzing the majorhealth and safety
issues at construction sites.

In construction industry women are working at three levels:
1. Women in technical position as an engineers or architects
2. Women in administrative position like managers (Finance, HR) etc
3. Women as construction labours

There is vast difference under these groups between developed countries and developing
countries. India contribution of women as a technical officer is only about 1.4% i.e. about
0.12 million out of 8.2 million women of total 3.6 million of construction workers.

Construction industry is fast growing industry equipped now with lot of technical
advancement with changing scenario of architectural development also; hence it is the need
of the day for technocrete to remain up dated with the changing scenario and to cope‐up with
this they need to undergo many institutional training programmes. Because of family
commitment women staffs find it very difficult. More over construction industry has long
working hours, presence of technical staff at construction site is necessary which results in
extensive travelling, and nature of this industry is such that it does not promote flexible
working hours except designing and architectural planning. All these become limiting factor
for women to hold higher technical position in construction industry.

The situation of women is administrative position favorable or not as difficult as they are
not required to travel to construction site and may have option to work in flexible working
hours.
The construction sector has the largest number of unorganized labours in India next only
to agricultural sector. Though, women are employed in semiskilled and sometimes in skilled
jobs in other industries, in the construction industry, Women are employed mostly as
unskilled labour and by choice are by design they are not allowed to acquire specific skills
that may enable them to become meson. Women join as unskilled workers and remain
unskilled till that end of their working life span.
Issues found related to role of women in construction industry are…..
1. Mind setup: it is till date strongly believed that construction industry is male
dominant industry and it is hardly accepted higher technical position of women in the
society.
2. The assumptions that root the frequent argument are that woman is physically not
strong to endure this strenuous task. When entering the gender segregated

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occupations, these women need to prove their competence despite their
qualifications and experiences.
3. Women inexplicably run a greater risk than men of work‐related Musculoskeletal
Disorder (MSD).
4. The whole workplace culture poses problems to female workers on site. For example,
temporary sanitary facilities are usually unisex, often without privacy and generally
not well maintained. Unclean facilities can result in disease as well as urinary tract
infection. Female workers also complain about the ill‐fitting Personal Protective
Clothing (PPC) and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that are not to size or does
not fit which eventually can compromise personal health and safety.
5. The type of covert discrimination women workers face are in the form of maintenance
of a cultural long working hours and enforced geographical instability. This
contributes to the issue of balancing between having a successful career and family‐
oriented lifestyle [Dainty et al, 2000].
6. An ILO study makes the following observations on the health status of women
construction workers: A study of construction workers in India sums up the situation
of women workers thus: ‘Women workers in the construction industry do the most
strenuous and ‘unskilled’ jobs like brick‐making, stone quarrying, assembling of
construction materials, lifting of stones, bricks and cement, etc. Despite their principal
role in the construction industry they are not considered as the main workforce.
Employers generally consider them as mere helpers and give them less wages than
the male labourers. Discrimination never ends at the wage levels. The amount of
physical hardships and their consequent effects upon the health of women, especially
to pregnant women and lactating mothers are important issues. Carrying heavy loads
up ladders and over uneven surfaces can cause spontaneous miscarriages; there is no
provision of maternity benefits and crèche facilities for women construction workers.
7. Sexual harassment of women workers in this industry is also quite widespread.
8. Accidents: Work related to the construction industry is one of the most hazardous,
with serious risks involved, especially in physical terms and accidents. Most of the
operations and tasks are labour intensive with non‐existent or at best, inadequate
safety measures. The quality of the materials used is often very poor and the industry
as a whole, has not clearly identified and recognized the nature of risks involved.
There has also not been a systematic analysis of accidents whereby preventive
measures can be seriously undertaken. Workers are not given any training regarding
health and safety; hence there is a greater incidence, as well as severity of accidents
in this industry.
9. The immediate causes of accidents have been identified as follows: Failure or
collapsing of scaffolding, centering or shuttering, Improper guards, Night work
without proper lighting, Inadequate care regarding fire and against electrocution,
Excessive noise, Handling of heavy finished and semi‐finished materials like metals,
Blasting, Underground work.

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10. Common Health Hazards: The immediate causes of other health hazards in
construction workers have been identified as: Cause Effect Cement dust irritation to
lungs, cancer and skin diseases, Plaster irritation to lungs, eyes and skin; lung cancer
Wood burning asthma and nasal cancer, Sand silicosis, loss of hearing; stress; blood
pressure, Heat cramps and sun burns, Vibration numbness of hands and fingers
Repetitive work sprain, rheumatism.
11. Although various acts exist under which women are entitled to maternity leave and
benefits, in practice they get no such benefits. Lactating women find it extremely hard
to care for babies while doing a full day work. They frequently hide from the
contractors in order to feed their babies. Often, women are forced to leave babies and
toddlers uncared for on the ground floor of a building while they climb up multiple
floors of high‐rises, balancing bricks or mortar on their heads. Keeping small children
safe and clean in the middle of the dust and rubble on a worksite is a difficult task.
Provisions for crèches exist but again these are breached and women are in no
position to demand these rights.

Suggestions for the Way Forward
1. Employers must also be sensitive to providing better facilities on site for female
workers including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); toilets and changing rooms.
2. Allowing flexible work schedule
3. Managing issues and variables affecting career aspirations and development while
concurrently focus on factors that influence women’s entry into construction [Bennet
et al. 1999].
4. Present a clear path for career opportunities regardless of gender thus providing
equal opportunities among employees
5. Stringent enforcement of the provisions of the laws
6. Strict punishment for the violation
7. Designing of tools and equipments to make the work less hazardous and less arduous
for women
8. Provision of welfare facilities like crèches, medical doctor/mobile dispensary etc.,
9. Organization of the women construction workers to protect their rights and fight
against exploitation.

Conclusion
Women were found to have progressed at a lower rate in the industry while
confronting many obstacles and barriers. A range of interrelated structural and cultural
factors defined in this gender disparity in career development, together with the interactive
strategies of men and women in coping with career constraints and exploiting career
opportunities. To encourage women participation in construction, they must be provided
with support and encouragement for non‐traditional choices at an early age. Women must
be aggressively recruited into training programs with the aim of configuring the curriculum

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and skills training to assimilate them into non‐traditional employment. What we learn from
direct observations in the field is that:
1. There is a lack of awareness, both amongst the workers and employers
2. There is resistance to change due to preconceived notions about women's roles and
that
3. There are competing interests between the different role players each of these
themes needs to be tackled at three different levels namely, bringing about a change
in the value system, the learning system and change at the policy level.

At sites the representation is more of unskilled workforce and in offices women are
more in administrative positions as compared to professional technical positions. There is
substantial disparity between their employment status, pay and professional up gradation
opportunities as compared to men in the industry. These are issues specific to construction
industry. To resolve these issues and for more number of women to be included and retained
in the construction industry, they need to be supported and properly trained through legal
as well as social interventions so that associated social customs are also addressed. Thus, the
solution shall include interventions by all components of the industry including NGOs, state
and central governments, domestic and multinational construction companies, as well as
national and global labour organizations.

Acknowledgement
The Authors thankfully acknowledge to Dr. C. L. Patel, Chairman, Charutar Vidya
Mandal, Er. V. M. Patel, Hon. Jt. Secretary, Charutar Vidya Mandal, Mr. Yatinbhai Desai, Jay
Maharaj construction, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat, India for their motivations and
infrastructural support to carry out this research.

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