The NSW Government has unveiled the latest Women in Construction survey results, which it says highlight the need to promote gender diversity in the industry.
The survey results were compiled from more than 1000 responses from construction workers and businesses across NSW. The survey findings will guide the future direction of the government’s Women in Construction program.
The key findings show that the number of women entering the construction industry has increased by 12.5 per cent and women now make up 20 per cent of the workforce from the businesses surveyed.
It identified key issues for workers, including work-life balance, lack of flexible hours, and insufficient mentoring and leadership training for both men and women workers in the industry.
The NSW Government said it is leveraging its procurement power to ensure contractors introduce flexible workplace policies and encourage the development of mentoring programs to support women’s long-term success in the industry.
“The NSW Government is currently building some of the largest infrastructure projects in Australia, and we want women’s participation in these projects to be a standard in the industry and not the exception,” NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen said.
“This is an important step in helping all our workers feel respected and valued, listening to what women are calling out for, and showing our commitment to equitable workplaces.
“Government can and should leverage its procurement power to increase women’s participation, and Transport for NSW is implementing this across its projects.”
According to the survey, 69 per cent of women reporting some form of gender-based discrimination in the past year, and 33 per cent experiencing workplace sexual harassment.
According to the NSW Government, it is committed to creating safer and more respectful workplaces, and the SafeWork NSW Respect at Work strategy continues to drive efforts to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace through education and enforcement.
“Change doesn’t happen overnight, but this report shows that targeted programs, like Women in Construction, can produce positive results. This report and the feedback I hear generally tells me that we still have a long way to go, across industry, in providing a workplace culture that encourages women to participate. Government is doing good work with industry, particularly large employers, but the change needs to happen in every workplace,” Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Minister Steve Whan said.
“Let’s continue working together for a stronger, more inclusive construction industry—one where gender equity and progressing women’s careers is at the forefront of progress.”