Building Change: Why We Need More Women Leading Construction

By Lauren Walker, MD of Aluminium Fire Systems (AFS)

When people picture a construction site, they often imagine hard hats, heavy machinery, and a sea of men. Unfortunately, that’s not far from the truth, and it has real-world consequences when we start talking about leadership. As someone who’s worked in and around this sector for years, I’ve seen the cracks in the foundation, and they’re not just in concrete.

Let’s start with the basics. In the UK, women make up just 15% of the construction workforce, and perhaps more shockingly, only 1% of the manual workforce, the jobs that actually shape the skyline. And when it comes to leadership? A measly 7% of line executive roles in construction are held by women. That isn’t just underrepresentation, that’s practically exclusion.

Why does this matter? First, leadership diversity isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity. Teams with gender-balanced leadership outperform. A McKinsey report, although examining broader industries, shows that mixed-gender teams are 25% more likely to be innovative and productive. Imagine what that could mean for construction, better project delivery, safer sites, and cost savings.

Yet, women in construction, especially those who dare to lead, hit wall after wall. We call it the “glass ceiling” for a reason, so you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. That invisible penalty is powerful.

But it isn’t just bias. Take practical hurdles: on-site, PPE (personal protective equipment) often isn’t designed for women’s bodies. Offices don’t accommodate flexible hours, even though 20% of women in construction say they can’t return to senior roles after maternity leave . Then there’s the sheer culture shock: sexism, banter, even overt harassment. If you’re the only woman around, the pressure isn’t just about proving you’re capable; it’s about enduring daily micro-assaults.

What makes this worse is the feedback loop: because so few women hold leadership roles, that absence reinforces stereotypes and sends the message: “Don’t aim for the top, you don’t belong.” Without visible role models, why fight the bias?

So, how do we fix this?

1. Rewrite leadership pipelines

It starts with fair promotion processes. Women shouldn’t have to work twice as hard to be seen as half as competent, and yet they often do. Organisations need structured mentorship, bias training, and transparent advancement criteria.

2. Redesign site culture

That means equipment that fits, policies that respect caregiving responsibilities, and clear anti-harassment procedures. It also means zero tolerance for “banter” that belittles women. It’s time to stamp out that casual sexism that hides in plain sight.

3. Amplify female visibility

We need to change the face of construction. Programmes like “Women into Construction” and apprenticeship schemes are wonderful, but we need more. Invite women onto panels, showcase female-led projects, and fund role-model networks.

4. Hold companies accountable

Gender diversity shouldn’t just be a checkbox; it should be measured, reported, and acted upon. The gender pay gap in construction is stubborn (part of the UK’s overall 9% gender pay gap). Firms need to treat equity as a core business risk and fix it or explain it.

Let me be clear: I’m not suggesting construction firms are all evil. Many are trying. But small wins, like adding a couple of women to management, don’t cut it. When women hold less than 10% of top-paying roles and are clustered in low-paying admin jobs rather than field leadership, that’s structural discrimination, not oversight.

And here’s the paradox: when women do manage to break through, they often outperform. But because the bar is so much higher, success stories are still anomalies. We need those anomalies to become ordinary.

Imagine a site led by a strong female foreperson, someone who balances empathy with decisiveness, safety with speed, and collaboration with control. That kind of leadership isn’t just good for women, it’s good for everyone. Projects run smoother, client satisfaction increases, retention improves, and the industry’s image shifts from brash and macho to professional and inclusive.

Yes, it will require investment: in training, in culture change, in coaching. But the returns, the innovation, the reputation, and margins are there. And it’s the right thing to do.

So here’s my call to action to every construction firm, contractor, and client out there: look around your site. Who’s making the decisions? Who’s shaping your strategy? If you can count the women in leadership roles on one hand, you’re not building diversity, you’re building on sand.

Let’s reconstruct the narrative. Let’s tap into the untapped talent pool of women. Let’s challenge the stereotypes, smash the glass ceiling, and build an industry where female leaders aren’t exceptions, they’re expectations.

Because when women lead, the whole site and the whole sector build stronger.