Mission Statement

The industry is facing a massive skills shortage and women are woefully underrepresented – making up just 10% of the whole construction workforce and of this 10% only 10% are employed in a professional capacity. Although numbers of women are increasing in the Social Housing Sector and Consultancy, the overall industry suffers from gender inequality and has been criticised by the Equal Opportunities Commission.

We consider the two major issues that need addressing are:

How to encourage more women to choose social housing and construction as careers when they leave school and/or college and:
How to address the disparity of career progression for women once they are in the Sector.

The frequently referred to ‘Glass Ceiling’ does, in reality, remain an obstacle for women in the construction industry in particular – according to the CIOB in September 2006.

The construction industry has been described as being amongst the most chauvinistic in the UK. If women are not given more support and encouragement to succeed to senior positions – it is easy to see how the culture becomes ‘self perpetuating’:

Long working hours and geographical flexibility are the norm. However women often need a flexible work environment with the opportunity to combine their work and family lives – such as part time working hours, job share schemes and career breaks.

Geographical flexibility can also be difficult if you have family responsibilities. Current organisational work practices tend to be geared towards men’s needs and help to support a workplace culture of inflexibility and discrimination.
Things are changing slowly, but women currently working within the industry are still not appropriately represented at middle and senior levels.

If more women are to enter – and stay – within the Sector – there is a distinct need for cultural change with an emphasis on understanding women’s career dynamics.

WISH is a unique Group for women to network with others from the same Sector and to give each other support. Even within our small Group, there is movement between the Sectors – with some women from RSL’s taking up positions within private construction companies – and also movement in the opposite direction. Between us therefore, we have a wide variety of experience and knowledge to offer to each other as we develop our careers.

We all have to operate and be successful in male dominated environments – whether it is actually working for a Company that mainly employs men in senior positions – or working with such a Company as Contracting partners and/or consultants.
The skills and qualities needed to succeed in this environment are of interest to all of us.