Women in the construction trades: Career types and associated barriers

Abstract

The construction industry is the most segregated sector in Spain, as in other Western countries, particularly with regard to its trades, in which the percentage of women is extremely low. Traditionally, public policies supporting the inclusion of women have analysed the barriers they face without usually accounting for the wide range of companies and employment situations present in the sector. Based on interviews with women workers in the construction industry's trades and using the concept of typical career types, this article analyses the many different barriers faced by women on site. It concludes that the career types and the barriers associated with them are principally the result of the type of company the women work for, a fact to be borne in mind when drawing up any government policy aimed at increasing accessibility of women to the trades of the construction industry.