The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR): Enhancing the Roles of Women in the Construction Industry

Abstract

The fourth industrial revolution proposes a better work pattern which connects physical and virtual spaces, thereby providing flexible working hours, better working conditions and improved safety that is appealing to women. This is particularly important for women in physically demanding fields such as construction. However, little is known about the specific roles of construction women in the fourth industrial revolution. This paper sets out to fill this gap by assessing the roles of construction women in the 4IR. It uses questionnaire survey to obtain responses from women construction professionals in Lagos, Nigeria. From the survey analysis, the main roles of construction women were in building construction areas where women have created a niche for themselves as a result of male domination, physically demanding and unsafe nature of construction. Theoretically, this study contributes to knowledge on women and the 4IR. It also enhances our understanding of the roles of construction women in the 4IR. Practically, the findings provide information for the development of effective 4IR skill programs for construction women in the study area.