Women in Construction
Experts from the regional construction industry including program director at Atkins Kathleen Gale, transport planning manager at Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council Khulood Al Marzouqi, and partner at Tabanlıoğlu Architects Melkan Tabanlıoğlu voice their concerns for the future of women AEC professionals
Construction in the GCC is clearly dominated by male AEC professionals. Why do you believe this is?
Tabanlıoğlu: Construction is generally regarded as a strenuous, harsh and masculine industry as there is a stereotype that this sector requires physical strength for manual labour due to the use of heavy machinery and specialised equipment. There is a gender typecast that women are too delicate to work under such brash environments. They fail to realise there are other areas within this field that women can work in, and this is possibly why it appeals to men more than women in the GCC.
Gale: I think it starts at a very early on when you’re choosing a career. The perception of construction is more appealing to young men than to young women even while pursuing higher education.
A lot of the degree course used to be very technical, but now other aspects of planning, infrastructure, environment and sustainability come into play. By looking into the social aspects, I think women will be encouraged to get into this field.
Marzouqi: If you’re talking about construction on site then yes it is dominated by male. I think most engineers, especially those who work on site, are men because of the cultural sensitivities in this region. For women it is difficult to be onsite as they need to interact with male workers and contractors and that could be culturally challenging. I don’t think women cannot do construction, but I do think in these times most of them prefer not to be part some aspects of construction. You will find more women in the more creative side of construction such as in architecture, design, and urban planning. It is a matter of preference, and most women choose to go into the creative side of it. I think it might be because that is the way most women are, they are more interested in creativity than men.
Is there a gender bias in the in regional construction sector?
Tabanlıoğlu: Gender bias in any industry is an unfortunate reality in the Middle East, especially in the construction sector. Construction is categorised as a male domain, and very rarely if ever do we find women in this field in the region. Very few women have made their mark as an important figure in this field, and they are mainly from the West. It would be refreshing to have more women from the Middle East come forth as leaders in the industry.
Marzouqi: On site, men are preferred because they don’t have the cultural sensitivity of being around other men. Most women also cannot stay for longer hours which could be a barrier as some sites need supervision both day and night. So when it comes to on site related work, companies usually lean towards hiring male engineers instead of female. In planning, design, architecture, and real estate, however, there are opportunities are for both as the work expectation is the same for
both genders.
What stops women from taking on a role in construction?
Tabanlıoğlu: Personally, I don’t believe in gender differences in any profession or platform, and believe we all have a duty of educating this very thought in our peers for generations to come. In fact, we need to improve the working conditions of women all over the world so that they may take on more senior roles. A building, a landscape or simply a room designed by a woman is no different.
Gale: I think family commitments can stop women from reaching out more career-wise. Generally and internationally it is the same case, women are primary carers in their families. They are expected to be accessible 24/7 and manage all of it. The stress of it all does not encourage progression but it tends to discourage women to move up to the next step.
Is the lack of women in construction a regional issue, or does it also exist in an international level?
Tabanlıoğlu: Although to a much lesser degree, but the issue does exist on an international level. Women deemed as feeble and inferior is a global stereotype, however the West has progressed from this traditional misconception whereas women in the region are still fighting it. Being a woman in a man’s world grants you advantages as well as disadvantages, I have always been on the lucky side.
Gale: It is absolutely an international issue, we have similar problems across borders. Though I do believe the US and China have better statistics than the rest of the world.
Do you think there is a need for change or are things starting to get better?
Gale: I am saddened in a way because when I started 20 years ago, I did a presentation on women in engineering and had high hopes for the numbers to be equal by the time I reach where I am now. Sadly, that is not the case yet. But I am very excited about the change in the engineering and construction industry. The industry is becoming more innovative and dynamic, and I think as it transforms it will naturally attract more women professionals to join the field.
Tabanlıoğlu: I think things are definitely starting to brighten for women in the field. It is a slow, but steady improvement from the scenario several years ago. I don’t believe that the clients prefer men as architects; on the contrary, women are better facilitators and better negotiators. Technically, men and women have the same educational background, yet I trust the institutional command of women is a better tool in design.
There are plenty of women taking up AEC courses in university, but don’t follow through to practicing it. Why do you think that happens?
Tabanlıoğlu: There can be several reasons that amount to this, lack of support from the family, personal issues, lack of funding, demotivation or just feeling incapable to take on the challenge. Similar to the rest of the modern world, almost 25% of architects in Turkey are women, but in Tabanlioglu the percentage of women architects rises to almost 60%; it could well be due to the fact that one of the partners is a woman. At Tabanlioglu, we support and encourage women in the industry and our gender ratio within the organisation surely proves this.
Do you find the lack of women in the industry discouraging for other women?
Tabanlıoğlu: This could be true, but I like to see the positive in everything or at the very least, find a solution rather than to dwell on the problem. Women who have achieved and excelled in the industry should lead by example and encourage and assist the young generation women architects by creating the path for them.
Gale: The lack of women in this industry could put some women off, especially those who have grown up in a female-only environment. The thought of walking into an industry that is primarily male dominated could be quite daunting. Also these young women sometimes tend to have no real role models. When I was young, I was a civil engineer sitting on a floor that was surrounded by hundreds and hundred of men, it is certainly very uncomfortable.
Could seeing more women in leadership roles inspire young women to take up an AEC as a profession?
Tabanlıoğlu: Being a woman in a male-dominated industry has its challenges, one being that most executives or senior roles are reserved for men. It is still difficult for women to excel and reach top executive levels as an architect or engineer. As a woman, it is demotivating to know when entering any field that you will not be given what you rightly deserve based solely on your gender. This could be possibly why women stray away from construction knowing they skills and worth will not be recognised.
That being said, I do think pioneering models always inspire and encourage. Women need to build solidarity by working hard to compete and earn leaderships roles so that young women may feel inspired and encouraged to take on AEC professions.
Gale: Atkins has established a Women’s Business Network and one of our primary goals with that network is to ensure that our female colleagues have role models. When you work through your career you tend to begin with learning how to do your job, but eventually it becomes learning how to do your job and balance your personal life like having a family and children. What a young woman needs is role models to look up to and who could help on that journey. If these role models don’t exist, it is very hard to sort of see yourself in that sort of future.
