Women in construction
The number of women working in civil construction continues to hover around the 14% mark. For onsite roles, the number falls to just 2%, making it the least gender diverse industry in Australia. This number has not shifted for a decade.
With the introduction of the Building Equality Policy (BEP) and the Women in Construction Strategy, the construction industry is evolving, and we want to support you in taking meaningful actions to drive the change.
Building Equality Policy
The Building Equality Policy (BEP) was introduced to promote gender inclusion in the construction industry. It seeks to reduce the existing gender stereotypes and roles in the construction sector. It is comprised of three actions that seek to address the structural and cultural barriers women face:
- Meeting project-specific gender equality targets, including women performing at least:
- 3% of total estimated work hours for each trade position
- 7% of total estimated work hours for each non-trade Construction Award covered position
- 35% of total estimated work hours for each management/supervisory and specialist position.
- Engaging women as apprentices, trainees and cadets.
- Implementing Gender Equality Action Plans (GEAPs) to address skills shortages and enhance gender diversity.
Access the supplier guidance for details.
Supporting gender equity
In 2023-24, MRPV, in collaboration with the Victorian National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), hosted workshops with senior representatives from 21 civil construction contractors in Victoria. These workshops aimed to raise awareness of the challenges and opportunities for increasing women’s participation in the industry and to develop an industry-wide approach to gender equity.
These sessions led to the development of:
- MRPV Towards Gender Equity Roadmap 2024-2027 (PDF, 2.6 MB), which outlines the goals and priorities to support increased gender equity across the civil construction industry
- Minimum Standards and Requirements for gender equity which must be implemented across all MRPV projects.
How to get started
- Read Up: Familiarise yourself with our Building Equality Policy in practice (PDF, 1.1 MB) resource to understand how to implement BEP on your projects.
- Identify Roles: Check our Building Equality Policy work category occupation example (PDF, 648.2 KB) resource to see the variety of roles women can take on.
- Build Connections: Partner with social enterprises and businesses that champion women's participation in construction.
- Promote Inclusivity: Foster an inclusive workplace culture that supports diversity and equality.