Women in construction: breaking barriers & building the future
Women in Construction Week 2025 is here – a time to celebrate and promote the role of women in the construction industry. This annual event highlights women’s contributions across all construction sectors while raising awareness of the challenges they continue to face.
The construction and housebuilding industries are evolving but one challenge remains persistent: the lack of female representation. Despite offering diverse career opportunities, only 16% of the UK construction workforce is female, with women making up an even smaller percentage of on-site and leadership roles.
As the demand for skilled workers grows, the industry faces a crucial question: how can we attract and retain more women in construction?
Representation and progress in construction
This gender imbalance is not due to a lack of talent or capability—women are already making significant impact across engineering, project management, design, and leadership. However, outdated stereotypes, limited access to opportunities and a lack of visibility for female role models have contributed to the slow progress in achieving gender diversity.
Challenges facing women in the industry
- Industry perception – Construction remains widely regarded as a male-dominated field, which can discourage young women from exploring career opportunities within the sector.
- Visibility of female role models – The underrepresentation of women makes it challenging for aspiring professionals to envision a clear path for career progression, reinforcing the perception that the industry lacks opportunities for them.
- Workplace culture & inclusivity – While significant strides have been made, barriers still exist, including unconscious bias, restricted career advancement and workplace structures that do not always accommodate diverse needs. Continued efforts are essential to fostering an environment where all professionals, regardless of gender, can thrive.
Advancing inclusion and opportunities
Fortunately, positive changes are underway. Initiatives like the HBF Women into Home Building programme and employer-led diversity strategies are creating more pathways for women to enter, develop and lead in construction. These programs offer mentorship, training and career placements, actively working to increase the number of women in the homebuilding and construction trades.
Companies such as Redrow, Bellway, Wates and others are investing in strategies to attract, retain and support female talent. As part of the HBF initiative, Bellway’s Women into Home Building programme has played a key role, running two successful cohorts in 2024 to provide structured career opportunities across all sectors of the business. These efforts demonstrate a strong industry-wide commitment to bridging the gender gap and fostering long-term career progression for women in construction.
What needs to happen next?
For the construction to fully benefit from a diverse workplace, the industry must continue to:
- Promote awareness & education – More must be done to highlight construction careers to young women through schools, universities, and apprenticeship programs.
- Break down stereotypes – Showcasing the success of women in construction will help reshape outdated perceptions.
- Improve workplace culture – Companies should focus on inclusive policies, including mentorship programs and flexible working arrangements.
- Encourage more female leaders – The more women we see in senior roles, the more others will feel encouraged to follow the same path.
