From the Ground Up: Building Opportunities for Women in Construction

by Jennifer K. Brown and Francoise Jacobsohn
Legal Momentum, July 2008

In July 2008, Legal Momentum published From the Ground Up: Building Opportunities for Women in Construction, a report on our ground-breaking conference, Women re:BUILD NY, which brought leaders from all segments of the construction industry together with tradeswomen to focus on making equal opportunity a reality for women in the construction trades.

Legal Momentum convened the Women re:BUILD NY Conference in April 2007 for a single purpose: to focus the attention of leaders in the construction industry, government, unions, and education, as well as tradeswomen, on how to make equal opportunity a reality for women in the construction trades. The conference provided a rare opportunity for stakeholders from many distinct sectors to reach across the usual divides and learn from their differing perspectives.

The result was a reinvigorated commitment to break down the barriers that have historically kept women out of this vital, thriving industry, and to build a new infrastructure for equality.

The timing for Women re:BUILD NY could not have been better. Construction employment is predicted to continue its strong growth, coinciding with a surge in retirements by the baby boomers who make up the core of today's skilled trades workforce. Construction jobs pay far better wages than traditional "women's work," making them an attractive option for the millions of women mired in poverty at the bottom of the economic ladder. Yet today, fewer than one in 25 construction workers is female.

In this conference report—structured around four "Pillars of Equal Opportunity"—participants share their firsthand accounts of what works to open opportunities for women. Industry and union leaders and government officials share their views on subjects that range from goal-setting and recruitment strategies to worksite guidelines and on-site monitors. Educators describe programs that break down stereotypes about the work women can do, and tradeswomen report on how union women's committees provide advocacy and support. Women re:BUILD NY has become a catalyst for new collaborations and initiatives in New York City. This report extends far beyond the conference to provide the larger community with a blueprint for action to advance women's opportunities in construction.

Jennifer K. Brown
Vice President and Legal Director, 1994-2008
Legal Momentum

Françoise Jacobsohn
Project Manager, Equality Works
Legal Momentum

Did You Know...

Women are 41% more likely to be poor than men. The gender gap is even larger among older women – they are 74% more likely to be poor than men their age.

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