Female builders 'delaying childbirth' due to inflexible work conditions
Summary
A report highlights the challenges faced by women in the residential construction sector, revealing that workplace culture and inflexible conditions are delaying their decisions on childbirth and career longevity.
Why It Matters
This article sheds light on the systemic issues within the construction industry that hinder women's participation and retention. Understanding these barriers is crucial for developing policies that support gender equality and workforce sustainability, especially as the industry faces labor shortages.
Key Takeaways
- Women in residential construction face significant cultural and workplace challenges.
- Pregnancy and parental leave often lead to career breaks for women in the sector.
- Inflexible work conditions are influencing women's reproductive decisions.
- There is a call for targeted actions to recruit and retain women in construction.
- Improving workplace culture is essential for increasing female representation.
Report reveals culture issues, adversity faced by women in residential construction sectorBy national work reporter Bronwyn HerbertTopic:WomenMon 22 Sep 2025Monday 22 September 2025Mon 22 Sep 2025 at 6:44pmBella Rogers says working in construction is rewarding but the culture needs to improve. (Supplied: Tom Bennett)In shortA new report has detailed the adversity faced by women in the residential construction sector and revealed a lot of work needs to be done to keep them there.Last week, a skills council called for "targeted action" to recruit 50,000 women into residential construction, which hasn't kept up with female representation across the rest of the construction industry.Attracting more women to the sector has been identified as one way to get enough workers to meet the government's goal of building 1.2 million new homes by 2029.Bella Rogers fell into carpentry a decade ago when her uncle called to find out if any of the boys in her year would be interested in an apprenticeship with his Canberra-based building company.Ms Rogers, then aged 19, had accepted a place at university to study fine arts, but decided to take a gamble."I didn't want to study … and this was a chance for a different aspect of creativity. I thought, 'well why not ask if I can give it a try?'," she said.Bella Rogers, 28, is a carpenter based on the Sunshine Coast. (Supplied: Tom Bennett)With the support of her uncle and cousin, Ms Rogers completed her apprenticeship at TAFE where she was the onl...