Caroline L. Davey

Women in construction: the untapped resource

Currently there are over 11 million women employed in the UK, accounting for 49.5% of the workforce. However, despite increases in the number of women employed in the construction industry over the past decade, they still constitute only 13% of the industrys workforce. This means that construction continues to be the most male dominated of all the major industrial groups. A review is presented of the literature relating to the current position of women in the construction industry. It identifies and examines the barriers preventing womens entry into the industry, the subsequent barriers faced by those working within the construction industry, and initiatives committed to promoting equality for women and men in construction. These barriers arise from a number of sources including: the construction industrys image; career knowledge amongst children and adults; selection criteria and male dominated courses; recruitment practices and procedures; sexist attitudes; male dominated culture; and the work environment.

Women, equality and construction

Examines the situation faced by women in the UK construction industry. Finds that women are confronted by a significant number of barriers, beginning with difficulties in joining the industry. In addition, the administrative or human resource management roles traditionally occupied by women do not lead to mainstream roles and senior management roles. To increase prospects, women need to able to take on the more mainstream roles in the industry such as design, engineering and construcition iteself. The main investigation of the article is therefore into the barriers preventing women from taking these roles. Conclusions and suggestions for reform are made.

The Right of Passage? The Experiences of Female Pilots in Commercial Aviation:

A poststructural feminist approach was adopted to investigate commercial aviation and the experiences of female pilots in a large international airline based in Europe. The study aimed to examine critically the difficulties faced by female pilots. The data were collected from in-depth interviews with 23 female and 17 male commercial airline pilots. The article argues that commercial aviation continues to be dominated by masculine values and practices, which result in the earlier stages of women’s careers being treated as ‘a rite of passage’. The first women to join the airline experienced sexism, harassment, high visibility and isolation. Although the extent of the difficulties has declined over time, the experience of dealing with sexism and adapting to the masculine culture continues to influence the attitudes of female pilots, especially towards gender and equal opportunities. The article challenges the impression created by the aviation literature regarding the degree of acceptance of female pilots in commercial aviation and summarizes the recommendations made to management in relation to its equal opportunities policy.

Policies and Practices to Encourage Women Returners

Presents research into the policies, practices and attitudes which would encourage women to return to a company following maternity leave. As a background to the study, which was conducted on behalf of one of the UK′s largest engineering organizations and in association with the management consultancy Interactive Skills Ltd, looks at how having children affects women′s careers and the attitude of organizations today. Concludes with a look at the importance of organizations, mothers, partners and colleagues in helping women to lead full and successful careers within a company.