---
title: "Women in Construction Breaking Barriers | AVANORTH"
canonical_url: "https://avanorth.ca/blog/women-in-construction-breaking-barriers-building-futures"
last_updated: "2026-03-10T07:34:15.111Z"
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description: "Women in construction: barriers, proven recruitment strategies, business case for diversity, and Ontario incentives for female trades workers."
"og:description": "Women in construction: barriers, proven recruitment strategies, business case for diversity, and Ontario incentives for female trades workers."
"og:title": "Women in Construction Breaking Barriers"
"twitter:description": "Women in construction: barriers, proven recruitment strategies, business case for diversity, and Ontario incentives for female trades workers."
"twitter:title": "Women in Construction Breaking Barriers"
---
AVANORTH Home
**Industry News**·June 9, 2026· 4 min read
# **Women in Construction: Breaking Barriers, Building Futures**
Women represent only 13% of the Canadian construction workforce, yet the industry faces its worst labour shortage in decades. Attracting and retaining women is not just about equity but an economic necessity.
**AVANORTH Team**
AVANORTH Construction
The Canadian construction industry will need to recruit 309,000 new workers between 2024 and 2033 to replace retirements and meet growth demand, according to BuildForce Canada. Yet women hold only about 13% of construction jobs, and in the skilled trades (the occupations with the most severe shortages), the number drops to under 5%. The construction industry cannot solve its labour shortage by drawing from only half the population. Attracting, training, and retaining women in construction is an economic imperative, not just an equity goal.
---
## The Numbers
| Metric | Data |
| --- | --- |
| Women in Canadian construction workforce | ~13% (up from 11% in 2015) |
| Women in skilled trades (on-site) | ~4-5% |
| Women in construction management/professional roles | ~25-30% |
| Women apprenticeship registrations (all trades) | ~6-8% (growing slowly) |
| Women in engineering (construction-related) | ~20% |
| Construction industry labour shortage (2024-2033 projected) | 309,000 workers needed |
---
## Barriers to Entry and Retention
### Systemic Barriers
1. **Cultural perception:** Construction is still widely perceived as "men's work." Many women never consider it as a career option because they have no exposure to the industry and receive no encouragement from career counselors, teachers, or family.
2. **Hostile work environment:** Harassment, discrimination, and exclusion are reported at significantly higher rates by women in construction. A 2023 Canadian survey found that 40% of women in construction had experienced harassment.
3. **Lack of facilities:** Many job sites lack separate changing rooms, washrooms, and properly sized PPE for women. This is not a minor issue. It sends the message that women are not expected or welcome.
4. **Career progression:** Women report being passed over for promotions, not given the same challenging assignments, and excluded from informal networks where career-advancing relationships are built.
### Practical Barriers
- **PPE fit:** Hard hats, safety boots, harnesses, and gloves designed for male body proportions do not fit women properly, compromising both safety and comfort
- **Childcare:** Construction's early start times (often 6:00-7:00 AM) are incompatible with most daycare schedules. Limited parental leave policies in the trades.
- **Physical assumptions:** Outdated assumptions that all construction work requires extreme physical strength (modern equipment, tools, and techniques have eliminated most physically extreme tasks)
---
## What Works: Proven Strategies
| Strategy | Evidence |
| --- | --- |
| Targeted recruitment programs | Programs like Women Building Futures (Alberta) and BWIT (BC) have 85-90% completion rates and 80%+ employment outcomes |
| Mentorship programs | Women with a mentor in the industry are 3x more likely to stay past the first year |
| Zero-tolerance harassment policies | Companies with enforced anti-harassment policies have 2-3x better female retention |
| Proper PPE | Companies providing women-specific PPE report higher satisfaction and lower injury rates |
| Flexible scheduling | Offering some schedule flexibility (staggered starts) improves retention for parents of both genders |
| Visible role models | Companies with women in visible leadership roles attract more female applicants |
---
## The Business Case
> **Diversity Improves Performance:** Research consistently shows that diverse teams make better decisions, have fewer safety incidents, and deliver better project outcomes. A McKinsey study found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability. In construction specifically, mixed-gender crews report 15-20% fewer safety incidents, likely because diverse groups are better at identifying and communicating risks.
### Ontario Incentives
- **Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy:** Enhanced grants for underrepresented groups including women in Red Seal trades
- **OIBG (Ontario Immigrant Builder Grant):** Supports newcomer women entering construction
- **Provincial apprenticeship tax credit:** Up to $10,000/year per apprentice, with enhanced credits for employers hiring women in underrepresented trades
> **AVANORTH Commitment:** We actively recruit women for all positions: trades, project management, estimating, and administration. We provide properly fitted PPE for all workers. Our harassment policy is enforced, not just written. We offer mentorship for all new hires. We train female apprentices in partnership with local colleges. We believe that a diverse workforce is a stronger, safer, and more innovative workforce, and our project results prove it.
#diversity #women-in-construction #labour-shortage
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