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Women's Influence on the Construction Industry
Many perceive the constructions industry as a man's world, with heavy lifting, sweat and a builder's bum here and there. But this view of the industry is quickly growing outdated. More and more women are joining the construction workforce, and their presence on teams across all areas of the industry is a force for good.
Women now make up about 14% of the construction industry, and the number of women in senior roles has trebled since 2005. This progress demonstrates a shift in perspectives, as construction learns just how valuable it is to have female input in all aspects of the building process.
As women's rights have gradually improved over the years, they have occupied more space in society, socially and in the working world. And where women occupy space, so should they have a role in the crafting of these spaces. Women bring new perspectives and insights and are a vital part of diversifying infrastructure and architecture - making them the best that they can be for everyone. Diversity truly is an asset.
March 8th marks International Women's Day, a global occasion to celebrate women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements and come together to continue fighting for gender equality.
Throughout history, women have contributed to the construction industries development. Women have played vital roles in architecture, housing reform, and design revolution. To mark the occasion of International Women's Day, we'd like to share some of these women's incredible achievements, looking at how they have helped build the civilisation and society that we live in today.
Lady Anne Clifford (1590-1676)
Lady Anne Clifford has left her mark across Yorkshire and Cumbria in several churches and castles. She is the first woman in recorded history to lead building projects after a 44-year battle to win back her sizable family estate. Once regaining control over the land, she embarked on a programme of significant improvements and enlargements, including Skipton Castle and Pendragon Castle. Lady Clifford also restored four churches in Cumbria, one of which, St Lawrence's Church in Appleby, is now her final resting place, alongside her mother, Lady Margaret Clifford.
Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham (1632-1705)
It's widely believed that Elizabeth Wilbraham was the first known female architect. Given that during the 17th Century, women couldn't pursue professions. It's said that Lady Wilbraham used male executants architects to carry out her work in her place. Lady Wilbraham designed grand houses for her family, including Weston Park in Staffordshire. There is evidence to suggest Elizabeth was part of 400 other building developments, including as many as 18 London churches, officially attributed to Christopher Wren.
Ethel Charles (1898-1962)
Ethel Charles was the first woman to join the Royal Institute of British Architects, 1898. Her architecture journey was made difficult by the accepted attitude of the period, where opportunities were mostly reserved for men. Ethel Charles persevered with her passion for architecture in the face of adversity, finally gaining her place in the RIBA with 51 votes in favour.
RIBA now presents Ethel Charles' orthographic projections of labourers' cottages from 1895 to illustrate how the Old English style began to evolve towards the Arts and Crafts and Garden City movements.
Hertha Marks Ayrton (1854-1923)
Hertha Marks Ayrton was a British Physicist who was the first woman nominated to become a Royal Society fellow. Over her lifetime, she patented 26 inventions, including 13 on arc lamps and electrodes.
The arc lamp was invented in the 1810s by Humphry Davy, widely used from the 1870s as street lighting and large building lighting. These lights, however, tended to hiss. Hertha Marks Ayrton identified the cause of the hissing as the oxidation of the positive carbon electrode, proposing changes to the carbon electrodes' shape, significantly reducing the hissing.
She was also an active participant of the women's suffrage movement, becoming one of the Women's Social and Political Unions' largest contributors, donating more than 1000 pounds, equivalent to approximately £120,500 today.
Florence Nightingale (1820-1910)
Florence Nightingale revolutionised nursing and set new standards for patient compare and compassion, shaping the healthcare industry into what it is today. Her revolutionary observations about sanitation, ventilation, overcrowding and drainage, and their contributions to disease spread led to new thinking about hospital layout and design. She called for better lighting and ventilation, and soon her innovations became popularised in hospitals across the world.
Octavia Hill (1838-1912)
Octavia Hill was a social reformer and campaigner who helped found the National Trust. Octavia was dedicated to alleviating uninhabitable poverty across the UK. She played a crucial role in housing reform in the 1800s after noticing that existing programmes were failing to eliminate situations of atrocious living conditions and immoral landlords. Octavia believed in self-reliance.
Octavia Hill also had a forward-thinking attitude towards 'quality of life' and considered open spaces, gardens, trees and flowers as essential. She successfully campaigned to keep Hampstead Heath and Parliament Hill Fields, now considered some of London's most cherished green spaces.
These are just a few of the amazing women who have left their mark on the construction industry. Their work can still be seen today. Their efforts were often met with disagreement and pushback from those who believed women had no place in the world of construction, architecture, design and science. Nevertheless, they have impacted our world and have paved the way for increased equality in the industry.
In current times, we now see more women working in these areas than ever, and that number will surely grow as barriers are broken down, and women become even more welcome in these historically male spaces. We understand now better than ever that women bring something unique to the creative process and are capable of many amazing things that help our society grow to new heights.
CMT Group is dedicated to diversity in our workforce and proud of the incredible women that work across our company. We understand that there is power in diversity.
We have been working with Breast Cancer Now to raise awareness and fundraise for breast cancer research and care. Approximately 600,000 people are living with breast cancer in the UK, and someone is lost to the disease every 45 minutes. This disease predominately threatens women, and we will continue to fight for those living with the disease.
You can purchase our pink facemasks here to proudly show support for the charity and the incredible work they do. For every box of masks sold, £1 is donated to the charity to help them continue to change the lives of those living with breast cancer.
We stock a range of women's workwear for our women construction workers, including MAX Vixen Onyx Women's work boot and Ladies HiVis Jackets and trousers. For the women working on-site, we salute you.
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