Encouraging more women to enter male-dominated industries
Prior to the Covid-19 crisis, of the 1,339 million people employed by the South African construction industry, only 11% were female. While the number of men still far exceeds that of women in the sector, female representation in the construction industry has increased by 7% over the past decade. Similarly, in the sub-Saharan African transport industry, only 8% of employees are female – a number which is steadily increasing as the years go by, albeit slowly. Nevertheless, these are welcome changes.
The Vice President of DMG events, Devi Paulsen-Abbott, explained that their aim was to close the gender gap in these industries throughout the continent. She mentioned a study by the Boston Consulting Group that had discovered that diverse companies produce 19% more revenue.
“Not only does diversity generate a bigger bottom line, but there are also a multitude of other benefits including access to a variety of perspectives, increased productivity, improved performance as well as heightened company reputation. Our events highlight the gaps that still remain and provide opportunities for honest conversations to be held in order to enable transformation,” said Paulsen-Abbott.
DMG events will be hosting the African Construction and Totally Concrete Expo as well as the Transport Evolution African Forum and Expo in 2021.
She added that, these events are also an opportunity to show young women that there is a place for them in these traditionally male-dominated industries.
Chief Quantity Surveyor at the National Housing Corporation in Tanzania, Margaret Ezekiel agreed and added that the number of women entering these industries especially in the informal sector, is increasing.
“This is because when girls see that women can succeed within the industry; they realise that they can succeed too. These days, you can find engineering classes and construction sector classes with more women than previously,” Ezekiel commented.
When asked about the importance of female representation in male-dominated fields, Chief Quantity Surveyor: Infrastructure Services – Education at the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure, Zanele Mabathoana, said commented, “If you look at women, we’re the majority of the population. The construction industry has been making spaces to be occupied by the population. But who are you creating spaces for if the majority of the population do not have a say and are not included in the decision-making process?”
Mabathoana believes that industry events are crucial for engaging women as well as for disseminating information and networking.
“A lot of information is shared at these events which are important for the industry at large. If women intend to be part of the industry, then they have to know what is happening within it,” Mabathoana said
Both Ezekiel and Mabathoana are judges in the African Construction Awards – an event which is co-located with the African Construction and Totally Concrete Expo and powered by the National African Federation for the Building Industry (NAFBI). The Awards, now in their sixth year, highlight the year-round pursuit of excellence that is driven by the passion of leading professionals, entrepreneurs and rising stars working in the industry. Categories include the Female Innovator of the Year Award and the Women in Construction Award.
“We need to be allowing women to participate, beyond administrative and HR functions and highlight the opportunities that are available for everyone in the sector in the sense of true transformation, ” Paulsen-Abbott concluded.
